To set the scene for today's episode, back in January I bulk recorded the last few weekly episodes of series two which were due to go out throughout the course of March but when the coronavirus came along and I launched the We can. We will. series in response, the last few episodes were put on pause for a while. This episode with Amy Rushworth being one of them! Before we get going therefore, I just want to say a giant thank you to Amy for her patience given that this episode has taken nearly si...
Jun 18, 2020•45 min•Season 4Ep. 3
If you came to the last Midweek Mingle roadshow of the year in 2019, you will know how good today's guest's hair products are because the BOUCLÈME (pronounced "Boo-clem") hair oil was hiding in the goody bags for us all and it's still one of my favourite goody bag treats that we've been lucky enough to receive to date! If you haven't heard of BOUCLÈME , it's the clean curl care range for curly haired people worldwide that Michelle launched after returning from a career-defining trip to New York ...
Jun 17, 2020•45 min•Season 4Ep. 2
I'd say series 4 is back with a bang ladies but let's face it, series 3 only wrapped up a month ago... I think we all know that might sound a tad OTT! Instead, I'll say that I love recording these interviews too much to wait months on end for a dramatic return so here we are, primed and ready to go with an episode that will go down as one of my favourites to date! To kick series four off, I had a chat with the vivacious and incredibly talented woman that is Anisha Parmar, Founder of her self-tit...
Jun 11, 2020•44 min•Season 4Ep. 1
As this series draws to a close today, for the first time since launching the She can. She did. podcast, I decided to put myself in the hot seat today and ask my good friend (aka. Natalie Moores, one half of my favourite marketing duo that is Mac + Moore ) to interview me (*cue the sweats*) about how the coronavirus has impacted both me and my plans for She can. She did. behind the scenes too. (Because truth be told, I'd feel like I'd be letting the side down somewhat, had I asked everyone to sh...
May 12, 2020•39 min•Season 3Ep. 34
I've been a huge fan of Grape & Fig for what feels like years now (even though the company was only launched in 2017) so when an email popped through from its Founder, Toria Smith, a few weeks back, I counted my lucky stars and got this episode booked in straight away! Having founded the UK's first grazing catering company with her sister Catherine, after noticing how huge the grazing craze was in Australia whilst travelling around Oz in 2013, Grape & Fig have gone on to cater for the li...
May 11, 2020•28 min•Season 3Ep. 33
Gosh, where do I start with how much I love this lady?! You know when you meet someone and you instantly know they're a good person? I had that with June (aka. Junie Poonie !) when we met back at the end of 2017. Always going above and beyond to ensure that her customers feel understood and cared for (via personalised stationery that manages to tap into what we're all really thinking and event styling and production that always goes the extra mile) June instantly came to mind when I was trying t...
May 07, 2020•28 min•Season 3Ep. 32
Today's episode is with someone who I can safely say is one of the strongest women I know. As the Founder of the Milton-Keynes favourite that is Oh My Cakery! - an independent cake business based down the road from me, that has grown an army of loyal, cake loving customers since its launch two years ago owing to Kirsty and her Mum's custom bakes and indulgent designs that essentially say it how it is - I have watched in awe as Kirsty and her Mum have adapted their business model in recent weeks,...
May 06, 2020•29 min•Season 3Ep. 31
Having known Hannah since the early days of She can. She did. and watched her brand go from strength to strength since then, I caught up with her on Friday morning to find out what impact Covid-19 has had on Cole & Co - the luxury Welsh soaps and candle brand that she launched and runs with her parents - in recent weeks. With a team of 15 under her direct management; both bricks and mortar stores in Cardiff and Beaumaris closed for the foreseeable future; and online sales that have been rele...
May 05, 2020•21 min•Season 3Ep. 30
Over the past few months, I've had a number of messages from some of you suggesting that I interview today's guest so on Friday morning last week, I did exactly that! The lady in question is the incredibly talented designer that is Hayley Scanlan, Founder of H.S - the independent, contemporary womenswear label based in Scotland that has gained much attention in recent months since Hayley starred on the series, 'Next in Fashion' that is currently streaming worldwide on Netflix. Yet, despite the i...
May 04, 2020•21 min•Season 3Ep. 29
Yesterday afternoon, I had the pleasure of chatting to the fitness powerhouse that is Krissy Cela, Founder of the incredibly successful brand that is Tone + Sculpt - the fitness app that provides home and gym workouts for users that Krissy launched at the start of 2019. Given that gym goers worldwide have scrambled to find decent home workouts in recent weeks and the pivotal role of exercise when it comes to managing not just our physical heath but mental health too is more obvious than ever bef...
May 01, 2020•23 min•Season 3Ep. 28
If you've been following She can. She did. for a while now, you'll know how much I love my gin! It only seemed right that I speak to the Founder of a gin brand in this series therefore, given that so many distilleries have pivoted away from making the drink in recent weeks and have turned their attention to making hand sanitiser instead... A product which, let's face it, ingredients aside for a sec, couldn't be more opposite to gin! With that in mind, over my first coffee of the day yesterday mo...
Apr 30, 2020•24 min•Season 3Ep. 27
Yesterday afternoon, I had the pleasure of chatting to Deepali Nangia - an angel investor and investment advisor whose work I have been following for a while now because her focus lies primarily on investing in and supporting female founders... Having invested in the likes of PensionBee , Live Better With and Adia Health in recent years, Deepali sits on numerous investment boards and committees and more recently, was selected to invest on behalf of Atomico's Angel Program this year - the program...
Apr 29, 2020•25 min•Season 3Ep. 26
Having caught up with Amanda on Zoom on Monday, I think I can safely say that when news of the coronavirus started gaining momentum here in the UK, it threw quite a spanner into the day-to-day runnings of her business and the I Can Make Shoes revenue stream came to an abrupt halt. Given that students had flown in from the likes of Hong Kong and Chile for one of her sold out shoemaking workshops in London when the news broke and she was due to launch further workshops in New York this July too, t...
Apr 28, 2020•27 min•Season 3Ep. 25
When I went to visit Eloise in January for the regular podcast interviews, the Co-Founder of The Big Bakes (aka. the popular Great British Bake Off-style pop-up experiences for friends and families) had just launched The Big Bakes in Birmingham after the ongoing success of the The Big London Bake ; had grown her team to 25; and was gearing up to launch more Big Bakes throughout 2020 in more of the UK's largest cities... Given that The Big Bakes rely on public bookings to make money though, when ...
Apr 27, 2020•29 min•Season 3Ep. 24
Earlier this year, I met the lovely lady that is Natalie Raven in a random meeting room somewhere in London (sounds very ominous, I know!) to record one of the usual hour-long interviews for this podcast. When the UK went into lockdown however and I launched this bonus series in response to that, said regular interviews went on pause for a bit (because posting hour long episodes each day would drive me a little loopy!) so I reached out to Natalie to see if she fancied chatting to me on one of th...
Apr 24, 2020•24 min•Season 3Ep. 23
I've had a number of messages since the UK went into lockdown from make-up artists, salon owners and hair stylists alike who have found themselves out of work and unsure of their next steps when they have no access to clients in person in recent weeks; and today's guest, having earned the majority of her income through wedding make-up prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, is a business owner who can wholeheartedly relate. The lady in question being Sasha Louise Pallari - a make-up artist, curve model ...
Apr 23, 2020•21 min•Season 3Ep. 22
Yesterday morning, I had the pleasure of starting my day chatting to one of the most joyful women I know! The lady in question being Heidi May, the ray of sunshine behind the ethical business that is Aesthetic Laundry - the casual women's clothing brand that is best known for its rainbow tassled jumpers that are loved by the likes of Stacey Solomon and Nadiya Hussein along with a whole host of loyal customers that she has amassed since launching the brand in 2014. Given that the whole nation is ...
Apr 22, 2020•29 min•Season 3Ep. 21
If you're a regular listener, you'll recognise the wonderful woman that is Rachel Burgess from series one of the She can. She did. podcast! As the Founder of the Rachel Burgess Bridal Boutique in Penarth, Wales, Rachel is the Queen of championing Welsh designers and allowing brides from all over the UK to do bridal their way. (As it happens, she's actually just married her long-term partner Jon after the two threw a surprise wedding for friends and family in what said friend and family believed ...
Apr 21, 2020•31 min•Season 3Ep. 20
On Friday afternoon last week, I got to chat to the powerhouse that is Lydia Millen , aka. one of the UK's leading fashion, beauty and lifestyle creators who has amassed an audience of over 1.5 million followers since launching her blog nine years ago. Working on a regular basis with brands like Armani, L'Oreal, By Terry, GHD and Givenchy to name but a few, having grown her audience organically and got to understand their motives inside out because of that, when Lydia finds a product that her au...
Apr 20, 2020•32 min•Season 3Ep. 19
To round off week four of this bonus series, I spoke to my good friend and one of the most creative women I know, Natalia Talkowska - the Founder of the London-based creative design agency focused on visual storytelling that is Natalka Design and Doodleledo - the interactive experiences that take place all over the world, for anyone that thinks they can't draw. With a client list that includes YouTube, Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Twitter, Sony, Samsung and Disney... (this list goes on...!) prio...
Apr 17, 2020•30 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Today's episode features the story of a lady that I've had the pleasure of getting to know at a good few of The Midweek Mingles now (plus a fair few coffee catch ups since launching She can. She did. too), who has in recent weeks, since the UK went into lockdown, launched a now sold-out course for anyone looking to launch the fashion brand that they've been dreaming about but never felt like they had the time. The lady in question, of course, being Elizabeth Stiles - the Bedfordshire-based, fash...
Apr 16, 2020•35 min•Season 3Ep. 17
Having worked at a deli during every holiday as a student, I have a whole lot of respect for anyone that decides to launch a cafe and even more respect for anyone that decides to launch two (and make both work simultaneously, that is!). It can't come as a surprise therefore, that as the Founder of Wild Thing - the popular plant-based cafes in Cardiff with social goals - Lauren Saunders is a bit of a legend in my eyes! Having first met and heard her story when she spoke at the launch of the Cardi...
Apr 15, 2020•37 min•Season 3Ep. 16
I first met today's duo back in 2017 when I launched She can. She did. and can safely say that not only has their story and charm stayed with me but I have fangirled over their stunning creations ever since. As the Co-Founders of the London flower studio that is WORM - a four-year-old brand with a portfolio filled to the brim with collaborations with the likes of Burberry, Erdem and Matches Fashion ; styled shoots for the likes of Harpers Bazzaar and Elle and a whole host of wedding installation...
Apr 14, 2020•31 min•Season 3Ep. 15
If you came along to the London Midweek Jingle in December, you'll remember that Sarah Richards's goal for 2020 was to move to Jordan and encourage more Arabic women to dive. As the Founder of the world's largest female dive community that is Girls That Scuba along with the plastic-free shop that is A Waste Free World , Sarah and her boyfriend packed up their belongings, moved out of their home and made the move in early March; a decision which she hoped would allow her to finally launch her mis...
Apr 09, 2020•26 min•Season 3Ep. 14
If the coronavirus outbreak and its impact on businesses in recent weeks has reinforced anything for me, it's that resilience and grit are key if you're going to survive in business and over the past few weeks, even though I already knew she possessed those qualities in abundance, Rosie has proved herself to be one of the strongest women I know... As the Founder of two PR-based businesses, LFA and PR Dispatch (I'll leave Rosie to explain the difference between the two on this recording), in the ...
Apr 08, 2020•22 min•Season 3Ep. 13
I've had a few messages since this series started from those of you who physically aren't able to access your business at present. Be it that you own a salon or a restaurant or a spa that's been forced to close, sometimes it really isn't as simple as, 'just focus on your digital offering' when your company's existence relies solely on engaging with the public face-to-face. With that in mind, given that I've watched in awe on social media at how today's guest has handled the past few weeks, I spo...
Apr 07, 2020•23 min•Season 3Ep. 12
For someone with a schedule as jam-packed as Sophie's is (spend two minutes scrolling through her Instagram feed and you'll see what I mean), Sophie is and always has been so generous with her time and advice - something that makes the wave of success that she's riding at present, all the more well-deserved in my opinion. So I don't know why I was surprised when I received a DM on the back of announcing this new series last fortnight, saying, in true Sophie style, "babes, I'll do one!" Having la...
Apr 06, 2020•18 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Earlier this week, I got to catch up with the powerhouse that is Grace Beverley who at 22 is not just the Founder of one business but the Founder and Director of three companies that have, over the course of the past twelve months, each found a successful niche in the heavily saturated industry that is health and fitness. Having first met Grace in December 2018, when she spoke on the panel at the first ever She can. She did. - Midweek Jingle in London, I've watched in awe as her personal brand e...
Apr 03, 2020•22 min•Season 3Ep. 10
With so many brands experiencing understandable drops in wholesale orders at present as well as (again understandable) disruption when dealing with delivery companies in recent weeks, I wanted to find out what impact the coronavirus has had on the duo behind one of my favourite snack brands, who I know from previous conversations with the pair, rely heavily on both. On Monday afternoon therefore, I had a Zoom call with the award-winning sisters that are Gracie and Sophie Tyrrell, Co-Founders of ...
Apr 02, 2020•20 min•Season 3Ep. 9
If any of you have popped to the shops in recent weeks, I have no doubt that if you're supermarkets are anything like mine (!) you would have struggled to get your hands on those all-important cleaning products that pre-corona were simply part and parcel of your bog standard shop. In the past three weeks however, as the nation approached lockdown and stockpiling went into overdrive, I think it's fair to say that they've become something of luxury items with everything from soap to antibac in unp...
Apr 01, 2020•25 min•Season 3Ep. 8
