As series 5 of the podcast draws to a close, I couldn't think of a more inspiring woman to chat to this week...

As the Founder of models.com/">Bridge Models - a Curve agency representing models, influencers and artists internationally - Charlotte Griffiths knows a thing or two about seeing a gap in the market and bridging it by recognising people for their talent, not their size. With offices in both London and New York, it's safe to say that the business has come on leaps and bounds since she launched it aged 25, back in 2014.

From the realities of the early days back where she lived off savings and worked silly hours around the clock, to how she's learnt to add more structure to the team and her diary as the business has scaled; what launching the UK's first men's division  for bigger, broader models in 2016 involved behind the scenes; to why she wants to see the term 'plus size' abolished from our vocabulary; I have a feeling you're going to enjoy this one. This is Charlotte's story so far...

Say hello to our sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

Say hello to this week's ad guest...

Not only have Pleo sponsored this series but they've also handed the mic over to members of She can. She did. so that they can promote their businesses in Pleo's ad space... what legends, we know! This week, you'll hear from our amazing member Tyra, Founder of  Foss Creative Studio - who just so happens to edit this podcast!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

can.did. @meetcandid

Bridge Models @bridgemodels

Pleo @pleo.io

Foss Creative Studio @fosscreativestudio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we start this weeks episode, I am so excited to say that She can. She did. has officially rebranded to can.did. - a new kind of networking for more candid conversations. For more details and to join us in there, visit www.meetcandid.com or come and say hello at @meetcandid

This week, I had the pleasure of chatting to Gemma Whates, the London-based Mum of two, VC Scout, Mentor and Founder of All By Mama - the incredible community and marketplace for mothers in their first few years of business.

From how Gemma organised her time in the early days given that she was working full-time during the first year of All By Mama's existence and what led her to eventually focus on the marketplace full-time, what she's learnt from her multiple investment rounds and what she'd do differently if she were to raise money again in hindsight, how she handles the continuous pressure to up-level, not to mention the Mum guilt that reared its head during the pandemic... Gemma has been so supportive to me personally in recent months and I could not have enjoyed chatting to her more. This is Gemma's story so far!

Say hello to our sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

can.did. @meetcandid

All By Mama @allbymama_network

Pleo @pleo.io

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we start this weeks episode, I am so excited to say that She can. She did. has officially rebranded to can.did. - a new kind of networking for more candid conversations. For more details and to join us in there, visit www.meetcandid.com or come and say hello at @meetcandid

This week I sat down to chat with Sydney Samuels, the 24 year old Founder of Loop not Luck - a diverse talent recruitment platform powered by Artificial Intelligence that helps talented, diverse candidates from low income backgrounds maximise their chances of success by connecting them with employers who want to diversify their early careers talent pool with data-driven recommendations.

Driven by her own experience entering the jobs market, I sat down to chat with Sydney about the personal journey she's been on so far and how she's tackling a systemic problem one baby step at a time.

Her personal bio reads that she's simply "trying to do some good" . Having spoken to her, I can confirm that she mostly definitely is. This is Sydney's story so far...

Say hello to our sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

can.did. @meetcandid

Loop Not Luck @loopnotluck

Pleo @pleo.io

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we start this weeks episode, I am so excited to say that She can. She did. has officially rebranded to can.did. - a new kind of networking for more candid conversations. For more details and to join us in there, visit www.meetcandid.com or come and say hello at @meetcandid

This week I am chatting to Victoria Prew, recent 'Forbes 30 under 30' alumna and Founder of HURR - the platform for fashion rental.

Joining me from HURR's fashion closet (which made for the most glamorous makeshift recording studio yet), Victoria opened up to me about her journey in detail so far. From how she used the cynicism around sustainable fashion back in 2017 to spur her on in the early days and how she held her nerve during the platform's year-long build; to how she's embedded sustainability into every facet of the company and what partnering with Selfridges has involved in reality behind the scenes... I have so much admiration for not just what she's created but how she went about doing so. As the HURR website puts it, she "took an idea and made it a movement." This is Victoria's can.did. story so far...

Say hello to our new sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

can.did. @meetcandid

HURR @hurr

Pleo @pleo.io

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we start this weeks episode, I am so excited to say that She can. She did. has officially rebranded to can.did. - a new kind of networking for more candid conversations. For more details and to join us in there, visit www.meetcandid.com or come and say hello at @meetcandid

TW// We talk about suicide in this week's episode.

This week I spoke to a woman whose mission, tenacity and courage inspires me no end. Esther Marshall is the Founder of Sophie Says - an award-winning children's book series that is changing the face of children's literature by featuring diverse characters and combatting stereotypes one page at a time.

Having spent 8 years at Unilever in which her last two years there were spent heading up their Global Diversity & Inclusion team, it wasn't until Esther went on maternity leave and found herself surrounded by children's books that only served to reinforce damaging gender and racial stereotypes, that the idea for Sophie Says was born.

As I'm sure you'll soon hear, today's episode isn't just a story about how Esther launched, ran and grew the Sophie Says series into what it is today (that of a book series endorsed by everyone from Frankie Bridge and Fearne McCann to none other than Prince Harry and Megan Markle!)

It's also a story about bravery, resilience and learning to cope with grief and acts as a poignant reminder to us all, that it's always, always ok not to be ok. This is Esther's story so far...

Say hello to our new sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

Say hello to this week's ad guest...

Not only have Pleo sponsored this series but they've also handed the mic over to members of She can. She did. so that they can promote their businesses in Pleo's ad space... what legends, we know! This week, you'll hear from our amazing member Tyra, Founder of  Foss Creative Studio - who just so happens to edit this podcast!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

can.did. @meetcandid

Sophie Says @sophiesaysofficial

Pleo @pleo.io

Foss Creative Studio @fosscreativestudio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I was introduced to this week's guest by the incredible Gemma Harling who features on the last series of this podcast and knew straight away that if Gemma's saying that today's guest is one to watch, I had to get her on to this podcast to find out more about her story. The woman in question is Latticia Morapedi, the Birmingham-based Founder of Latticia Organics, organic skincare and lifestyle products that were inspired by her own skin troubles and an understanding that there had to be another way to care for her skin without relying on products populated with synthetics. 

From the early days where she handed out samples to her friends at her own baby shower and how she's grown the brand sustainably ever since, to how she held her nerve for two years when she took time out to rebrand properly and the various challenges that she encountered behind the scenes, she was a complete joy to chat to, I'm in awe of her resilience... This is Latticia's story so far.

Say hello to our new sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

Say hello to this week's ad guest...

Not only have Pleo sponsored this series but they've also handed the mic over to members of She can. She did. so that they can promote their businesses in Pleo's ad space... what legends, we know! This week, you'll hear from our amazing member Danielle, Founder of  Team Hen - hen party accessories for the modern bride.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Latticia Organics @latticiaorganics

Pleo @pleo.io

Team Hen @teamhen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's safe to say that this podcast wouldn't be what it is today without the help and support of today's guest.

Her name is Maddy Russell and she's the Founder of Paiv Creative - a design company specialising in brand identity, print and digital design that helps to build brands that have a 'because.'

Maddy reached out to me on New Years Day 2018. I was four months into She can. She did. She was a third year graphic design student. We chatted, I saw her portfolio and we've worked together ever since.

She's quite simply one of the most talented, supportive and kind women I know. She's been AMAZING doing the rebrand of this business (which by the way is coming your way in exactly 7 days time) and I can't wait for you to hear her story. Enjoy!

Say hello to our new sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

Say hello to this week's ad guest...

Not only have Pleo sponsored this series but they've also handed the mic over to members of She can. She did. so that they can promote their businesses in Pleo's ad space... what legends, we know! This week, you'll hear from our amazing member Natalia Talkowska, Founder of Natalka Design - a global team of digital visual storytellers that help bring your stories to life.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Paiv Creative @paivcreative

Pleo @pleo.io

Natalka Design @natalkadesign

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TW // We speak about suicide in this week's episode.

This week I am chatting to a woman who I was first introduced to on a panel that I'd been asked to moderate at a Women's Leadership conference hosted in London back in 2019... when big conferences with lots of people were a thing! She happened to be speaking on the panel, we met, realised that we had a mutual friend in common and I have been in awe of her work and her story ever since. The lady in question is Amber Cowburn, a multi award-winning mental health awareness advisor and trainer who, after nearly a decade working as a strategy manager, policy manager, campaigner, public speaker, and trainer in mental health and wellbeing, founded her own company Working Well (SW) Ltd in 2019.

Having been honoured with national accolades including We Are The City 'Rising Star' Entrepeneur award (2020), the Diana Award (2019), the Prime Minister's point of light award (2018), and a Rotary National Community Champion Award (2019), Amber is also a proud founding trustee of the Invictus Trust charity that her and her family set up in early 2011 in memory of her older brother Ben who sadly took his own life in late 2010.

From how she navigated the stigma attached to mental health in the early years given that the national conversation around mental health didn't really open up until 2016, 2017 ish; the uncomfortable journey she's been on when it comes to putting a price on her services and what she'd do differently with certain contracts in hindsight; to how she went about marketing Working Well and securing corporate clients without the help of the usual suspects like Instagram; not to mention, the lessons the past 12 months have taught her about both business and life of course; I have so much respect for Amber and think we can all learn so much from her story.

With that said, I hope you enjoy it!

Say hello to our new sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

Say hello to this week's ad guest...

Not only have Pleo sponsored this series but they've also handed the mic over to members of She can. She did. so that they can promote their businesses in Pleo's ad space... what legends, we know! This week, you'll hear from our amazing member Danni, Founder of Greene Creatives - affordable and accessible marketing services for creative business owners ready to level up.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Amber Cowburn @amber_rosee

Pleo @pleo.io

Greene Creatives @greenecreatives

PS. Given that this was recorded in lockdown, there's a few wifi issues where we ran into a few technical hiccups (!) so please do take those with a pinch of salt when they crop up!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oh my goodness did I enjoy this week's chat!

Having launched Spectrum back in 2014 from their garage in Barry, South Wales, Sophie and Hannah have gone on to grow the business into a globally recognised brand that has partnered with the likes of Disney and Paramount Pictures (to name but a few) and is stored in hundreds of stores worldwide...

(Use the code SHECAN20 for 20% off all Spectrum products if you're interested in seeing what all the fuss is about! This offer expires on Tuesday 13th April!)

Given that they were once told that in order to be successful, they must move to London, I caught up with Sophie and Hannah at the end of last year to find out all the nitty gritty details they've pushed through behind the scenes to build what is now a multi-million pound company!

Covering everything from how they dealt with a warehouse fire that destroyed thousands of pounds worth of stock; their advice for how to scale sustainably and why Wales will always be Spectrum's home. Not to mention, how they held their nerve when people doubted their ability to scale, what their first year of sales looked like (I'm so grateful for their honesty here!) and how Covid impacted the business... I loved, loved, loved recording this one, I have so much respect for them both so I really do hope you enjoy it. This is Sophie and Hannah's story so far!

Say hello to our new sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

Say hello to this week's ad guest...

Not only have Pleo sponsored this series but they've also handed the mic over to members of She can. She did. so that they can promote their businesses in Pleo's ad space... what legends, we know! This week, you'll hear from our amazing member Mako, Founder of Berry & Brie - London's creative grazing co, that'll always brie around!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Spectrum Collections @spectrumcollections

Hannah Pycroft @spectrumhannah

Sophie Pycroft @spectrumsophie

Pleo @pleo.io

Berry & Brie @berryandbrie

PS. Given that this was recorded in lockdown, there's a few wifi issues where we ran into a few technical hiccups (!) so please do take those with a pinch of salt when they crop up!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a three month hiatus, we are back with series 5 of the podcast!

Not only do we have a brand new sponsor this series (hello Pleo!), we also have a pretty special line up of guests over the next few weeks so brace yourselves because there are some incredible stories coming your way!

I had to start series 5 with today's guest because quite simply, she's a force to be reckoned with. Her name is Seyi Akiwowo and she's the Founder of Glitch or as she goes on to say in this episode, her "oops baby" - a UK based charity recognised internationally for working to make the online space safe for all... who just so happens to be our charity partner too!

Recorded back in November - a giant thank you to Seyi for her patience getting this one out - we sat down to chat about everything from the series of events at the hands of both trolls and social media platforms that led Seyi to get Glitch off the ground; how she went about growing a team and learning to lead from a place of love instead of fear; the relationship she's been on with money over the years and why she sees her old debt as a battle scar. Not to mention the power of tuning in to watch Neighbours at lunchtime, and why she's determined to ensure that Glitch is trauma informed but not trauma led...

If you haven't checked Glitch out, I couldn't recommend their work more. This is Seyi's story so far!

Say hello to our new sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

Say hello to this week's ad guest...

Not only have Pleo sponsored this series but they've also handed the mic over to members of She can. She did. so that they can promote their businesses in Pleo's ad space... what legends, we know! This week, you'll hear from our amazing member Lauren, Founder of Pilates East - the home of pilates in Norwich, Norfolk and beyond.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Glitch @glitchuk_

Pleo @pleo.io

Pilates East @pilateseast

PS. Given that this was recorded in lockdown, there's a few wifi issues where we ran into a few technical hiccups (!) so please do take those with a pinch of salt when they crop up!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're thinking about launching your own fashion label and/or any creative product-based business for that matter, this interview with Sarah Birchall, Founder of Cub & Pudding is well worth a listen.

Having spent ten years working as a PA for the Head of a bank in the City, a chance encounter with a life coach forced Sarah to revaluate her career and work out what truly brought her joy... As a Mum who took great pleasure in dressing her children, not before long, the idea for Cub & Pudding was born - quirky, gender neutral kids wear that defies seasonal trends and can be worn all year round. Genius.

We chat about everything from how she transitioned from her full time role as a PA in the City and made the most of the blank canvas that came hand-in-hand with working on the business full time. The reality of how she funded Cub & Pudding in the early days given that sourcing materials, minimum orders and factory visits all add up as well as the steps she took to ensure that her items are ethically made. Plus of course, the impact Covid and the increased time spent online had on Cub & Pudding, why she actively chooses to invest in those that will hold her to account and how she got over her fear of selling.... There are so many pearls of wisdom in this one. This is Sarah's honest story so far... Enjoy!

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for all female business owners in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now to get free Vala health cover: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Cub & Pudding @cubandpudding

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I can safely say that this week's guest is one of the most genuine and kind women that I've had the pleasure of getting to know over the past couple of years. The lady in question is Kat Horrocks, the make-up artist turned life coach that I met for the first time when I took the She can. She did. Midweek Mingles up to Manchester in 2018, who empowers women to achieve their goals and put themselves first.

From how she combatted the fear of transitioning from the make-up business that she ran for the four years prior to becoming a coach and how she went about battling off the imposter syndrome and not so supportive opinions of others that came hand-in-hand with that transition; how she held her nerve and continued to show up when the money wasn't always there in the early days; to her thoughts on the integrity of the online coaching space, given that it's not regulated and anyone can claim to be an expert in anything and everything online; this is Kat's very honest story so far... 

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for all female business owners in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now to get free Vala health cover: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Kat Horrocks @kat_horrocks

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I know I shouldn't have favourites but bloody hell this was a good chat!

A few weeks back, I got to sit down and natter (over Zoom of course) with the Brighton-based Queen of Self care that is Donna Hay - a woman that I've known and admired since very early on in She can. She did.'s story who happens to be the Founder of WILDWOMAN, the UK’s first non-fiction, book subscription box for women.

From her thoughts on the dangers of the #girlboss overnight success culture and how it led her to set unobtainable goals for Wildwoman's launch; why she's recently made the decision to switch off all paid advertising and how she held her ground when those closest to her challenged her pricing strategy early on; to why she likens her business journey to that of being on a log flume, not a rollercoaster... this chat with Donna came at the right time for me personally and is an interview that I will be referring to, countless times from now on, I'm sure. Enjoy!

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for all female business owners in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now to get free Vala health cover: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

WILDWOMAN @wearewildwoman

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blaqbase is the shopping app Founded by Benedicta Banga, that supports black owned businesses in the UK by bringing high quality black owned products together and allowing customers to buy them via Blaqbase directly. Having launched on black pound day in June and gained extensive press coverage from the likes of Stylist, Marie Claire, Sky News and the BBC thereafter, I chatted to Benedicta a few weeks ago to discuss her self-funded business journey so far... and the numerous iterations, tweaks and testing that has gone on behind the scenes!

From how she built the app without developers and learnt to embrace the curveballs and opportunities that running a business can throw your way; why she's so passionate about reminding people that the only reality we can truly trust online is our own; to her advice on dealing with online abuse having experienced it herself in the aftermath of an interview on Sky news, Benedicta's story is yet another example of what truly goes on behind the scenes to launch and grow a sustainable business and for that reason, I couldn't have loved recording it more!

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for all female business owners in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now to get free Vala health cover: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Blaqbase @blaqbaseapp

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's hard enough launching a business in your home country as it is but add language and cultural barriers into the mix and as I'm sure you'll soon hear, it becomes a whole lot tougher...  

I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but I knew from the moment I saw DAYE's branding that there would be a seriously savvy Founder behind it ... and 26 year old Valentina Milanova didn't disappoint.

Having moved to the UK from Bulgaria to launch DAYE - the female health research and development company best known for its organic and CBD infused tampons - Valentina has pushed through an immense number of challenges to bring her vision for DAYE to life.

From convincing her friends to test homemade tampons in the early days and the lengthy steps she took to ensure that DAYE exceeds manufacturing standards thereafter; to the painful journey she endured to secure investment - quite literally at one point - to the challenges she's faced navigating British culture, not just on professional level but a personal one too, this is Valentina's (bloody amazing... no pun intended..!) story so far.

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for all female business owners in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now to get free Vala health cover: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

DAYE @meetdaye

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few weeks back, I sat down for a chat with the breathe of fresh air that is Kaew Suppamas, Founder of the (v. cool) terranium company that is Leafage. Via their DIY kits and team building workshops, together with her team, Kaew is on a mission to help us all connect with nature and importantly, live in the moment... which let's face it, sounds like something we all need right about now!

Having once upon a time been told that she was "too much of a dreamer" to ever run a business successfully, given the fact that Kaew now counts the likes of Facebook, Nike, Slack and Asos as customers, it's safe to say that she's proved them wrong! This is Kaew's story so far...

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for all female business owners in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now to get free Vala health cover: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Leafage @weareleafage

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TRIGGER WARNING: Please note that we speak about Anna and Co-Founder Billie's shared history of sexual assault at various points throughout this conversation.

I'm inspired by every single woman that I've interviewed on this podcast but there are some stories that definitely stand out and this episode with Anna Hushlak is one of them. 

As the Co-Founder of Ferly - the audio guide to mindful sex that is on a mission to support and empower woman and folx with vulvas to improve their sexual wellbeing - Anna sat down to chat with me a few weeks back about the evolution of hers and Co-Founder Billie's business journey so far.

From how they went about really understanding the universal problem at hand and their problem-first approach to all business decisions and research thereafter; how they have handled numerous cynical comments since entering the space and their advice for all of us on how best to hold our nerve in those conversations; to how Billie and Anna's relationship has evolved since day one and why being the Co-Founder of Ferly has provided Anna with a powerful filtering method when dating (LOVED this bit!); she's one incredibly strong woman - they both are in fact - so I hope that you find their story be as empowering as I did. 

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for self-employed womxn in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Ferly @weareferly

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If you, like me, get abnormal amounts of pleasure from roaming the aisles of Homesense and dreaming about designing your ideal home (just me!?) this week's guests are right up your street! Why? Because they're the incredibly talented duo behind Wells and Maguire -  the high end interior design studio covering London, Wales and the South of England that Emily and Danielle set up after becoming frustrated by agency life.

Specialising in bespoke interiors for private clients and developers at some seriously swoon worthy town houses and mansions - if you want some dreamy interior inspo FYI, I would highly recommend looking at the Wells and Maguire portfolio - I caught up with Emily and Danielle a few weeks back to discuss what the realities of running an interior design business look and feel like behind the scenes.

From how they've dealt with not-so-supportive comments and actions from former acquaintances and their advice should you find yourself in a similar position; how they handle the jobs that don't quite go to plan to ensure that their reputation and high standards are always upheld; to how their partnership really came into its own when Emily suffered a devastating loss in her personal life, their honesty throughout this chat is what She can. She did. is all about and for that reason, I hope it provides you with a whole lot of comfort and inspiration, should you need it, going forward...

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for self-employed womxn in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Wells and Maguire @wellsandmaguire

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This week, the spotlight falls on Sukhi Jutla, Co-Founder of the"uber for the gold and diamond industry" that is MarketOrders - an award-winning B2B platform that she launched four years ago, that enables independent retail jewellers to buy gold and diamond jewellery directly, securely and seamlessly from international suppliers, using blockchain technology. 

A process, which I of course ask Sukhi to breakdown for me in layman's terms!

Having won numerous awards including Asian Women of Achievement, Female Entrepreneur of The Year and named a Top 100 European Digital Pioneer by The Financial Times and Google, not to mention revolutionising a previously old fashioned and often corrupted industry; the former investment banker-turned-entrepreneur sat down to chat with me a few weeks ago about the realities that she's faced behind the scenes in her business journey so far.

From how she's learnt en route how to block out unsolicited advice and trust her own judgement when it comes to decision making, why she opted to sell her handbag collection to save money in the early days; to why Ben & Jerry's came in handy when she realised that she needed to walk away from £250k; to this is Sukhi's story so far!

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for self-employed womxn in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

MarketOrders @market_orders

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's not everyday that you hear of Great British athletes trading gruelling training regimes in for the world of app design and entrepreneurship but that's what Kike Oniwinde did when she left the world of javelin behind and launched network.com/">BYP Network in 2016 - A platform that empowers black professionals around the world to connect with each other and global corporations.

Often dubbed  'the LinkedIn for black professionals', the platform has gone on to win a whole host of awards over the past four years, Kike has earned herself a place on the prestigious Forbes '30 under 30' list and led the company through a successful crowdfunding raise in the midst of a pandemic that saw the platform successfully secure more than £800,000 from over 1100 investors on Seedrs.

Pretty impressive, right!?

From how she's learnt to sieve through advice and follow her gut instinct having been easily swayed by others' opinions in the early days; how she successfully infiltrated the right business ecosystems to grow the right network that supported her through the company's various stages of growth; to why she's happy to shine a spotlight on the negative stats about black female entrepreneurs but refuses to let said stats affect her progress; this is Kike's INCREDIBLE story so far...

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for self-employed womxn in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Kike Oniwinde @kikeoniwinde

BYP Network @bypnetwork

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After a brief hiatus as we got the She can. She did. Benefits Programme off the ground, I am so happy to be reunited with my headphones and mic and interviewing some of the UK's most inspiring female founders once again!

I have no doubt that a lot of you will already be aware of today's guest and the incredible work that she does to enhance the visibility and confidence of women all over but just in case you haven't, this week's episode is with the inimitable Lauren Currie, OBE and Founder of both UPFRONT - a business committed to elevating and encouraging new voices on and off public stages around the world and Stride - an app that is committed to democratizing leadership development for the workforce of the future.

From how she handles the loneliness and imposter syndrome that can often come hand-in-hand with being a business owner; how she navigated the period in her life before she met her partner when she was told that she was "too much" for men; to how sticking a post it note in the ladies bathroom at a conference where she was the only female speaker led her to create what is now UPFRONT; choosing the soundbite for this episode has proved to be very stressful because every other sentence of hers, as you'll soon hear, was filled with SO MUCH GOOD ADVICE!! With that in mind, I hope you enjoy it!

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for self-employed womxn in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Lauren Currie, OBE @_laurencurrie_

UPFRONT @upfrontglobal

Stride @stride_leadership

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This week, I got to chat to a lady that has played a huge part in She can. She did.'s story to date because she happens to have photographed every single one of the twenty She can. She did. - Midweek Mingles since they launched in 2018... and has done a bloody good job doing so too!

I first came Chloe in early 2018 when an email popped into my inbox ahead of the very first Midweek Mingle, enquiring about whether I was looking for a photographer for said Mingle and if so, would I be interested in letting her capture the event? We had a chat, I said "yes", she turned up with her tripod and the rest is history!

Recorded via Zoom a few weeks back, we covered everything from the early days of Stories By Chloe when she 'fluffed out the truth' somewhat and offered photography for free to build a portfolio that went on to attract her dream clients; her advice for any service-based business owner struggling for work; how she's learnt to combat the loneliness en route by finding her tribe along the way (her Bridesmaids analogy is food for thought here!); why the impact of lockdown was a blessing in disguise for her business; to how she went about navigating the realities of running her brand when the death of her beloved Grandma meant that she was grieving behind the scenes; this is Chloe's honest story to date and how she's gone about creating her dream career since launching her business three years ago.

From "tripod girl" who showed up at the first Mingle and barely spoke a word to anyone to a highly skilled photographer who works the room, puts everyone at ease and now has a jam packed diary full of her dream clients, I've loved watching Chloe's story unfold from afar, I loved recording this chat so as always, I hope you enjoy it too!

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts who happen to be the only place in the UK where you can register a limited company and open a business account in one process, for free! Essentially, for those of you that want to set up as a Limited Company or switch from being a sole trader to a Limited Company like I did, all you do is search the company name you would like, enter your personal and business details and in a matter of minutes, your limited company application will be sent, your Tide business current account will be set up, and you're good to go! For more information if you happen to be interested, please feel free to visit: www.tide.co/start 

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Stories By Chloe @storiesbychloe

Tide @tidebanking

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the We can. We will. series came to an end in May, I received a personal email from today's guest sharing her story with me and knew straight away that I wanted her to feature on this series. Not just because she launched her business aged 24 nine and a half years ago and together with her two co-founders, has grown a team of over 100 employees since then; partnered with over 800 independent fashion labels; and grown a dedicated customer base of over one million women; but because despite being at the helm of such a huge company juggling the pressures of running an online fashion business during this pandemic, she made the effort to reach out to me personally.

Something that is pretty much unheard of for a founder running a company of her size and something that little old me respected no end.

The lady in question being 33-year-old Emma Watkinson, Co-Founder of the online fashion platform connecting independent designers with over a million, loyal customers that is SilkFred.

From why she's always pushed back against conventional wisdom since day one opting to focus solely on the company's data at hand instead; how she navigated SilkFred's exceptional growth and her honest thoughts on the growing pains that the company endured thereafter; to her thoughts on juggling being the CEO of a 100+ team whilst raising her two-year-old twin girls too; plus of course, how she navigated a 90% drop in sales when the UK went into lockdown in March; Emma's humility and honesty throughout this episode will stay with me for a long time to come. Her story should also provide a handy reference point for those wanting to scale their businesses going forward... I hope you enjoy it!

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts who happen to be the only place in the UK where you can register a limited company and open a business account in one process, for free! Essentially, for those of you that want to set up as a Limited Company or switch from being a sole trader to a Limited Company like I did, all you do is search the company name you would like, enter your personal and business details and in a matter of minutes, your limited company application will be sent, your Tide business current account will be set up, and you're good to go! For more information if you happen to be interested, please feel free to visit: www.tide.co/start 

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

SilkFred @silkfred

Emma Watkinson @silkfred_emma

Tide @tidebanking

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's not everyday that Hollywood reach out and ask if a certain Hollywood A-lister can drink your product in an upcoming movie but that's what happened a few weeks ago to this week's guest..!

*cue the excitement*

The lady in question being Ellie Webb; the Bristol-based Founder of Caleño, the non-alcoholic spirit that aims to bring joy to non-drinking that Ellie launched during Dry January 2019 after a particularly boozy Christmas!

Three months in, Caleño launched into 500 Sainsburys stores UK-wide, it was recently named Good Housekeeping's top non-alcoholic spirit (out of a panel of 20 that is) and in less than eighteen months, Ellie has gone from a solo Founder wearing every hat, to a fully-fledged boss leading a team of six...

From the early days of Caleño when Ellie put her marketing background to good use in order to capitalise on Dry January with specific collaborations, micro influencers and social ads and how her approach to marketing has evolved as the brand has gone from strength to strength; as a solo Founder turned boss of 6, what her advice is for Founders growing a team and why the impact of the coronavirus shaped her as a leader; to the impact of Covid-19 on Caleño itself and how she went about figuring out the role Caleño would play during lockdown (plus of course more about that Hollywood hunk!); the fact that Ellie has "only just scratched the surface" with Caleño says so much about her ambition for the brand and her tenacity as a Founder so it can't come as a surprise to you all that I loved this chat! This is Ellie's story to date...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts who happen to be the only place in the UK where you can register a limited company and open a business account in one process, for free! Essentially, for those of you that want to set up as a Limited Company or switch from being a sole trader to a Limited Company like I did, all you do is search the company name you would like, enter your personal and business details and in a matter of minutes, your limited company application will be sent, your Tide business current account will be set up, and you're good to go! For more information if you happen to be interested, please feel free to visit: www.tide.co/start 

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Caleño @calenodrinks

Ellie Webb @caleno_ellie

Tide @tidebanking

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I was due to interview this week's guest on the panel at Brighton's Midweek Mingle back in March but the coronavirus came along and we all know what happened thereafter... SO, I asked her to talk to me on here instead because the foodie in me wanted to hear her story in full!

The lady in question is Lerato Umah-Shaylor, Founder of the Eastbourne-based foodie brand that is Lerato Foods - a company that she launched after returning to the UK from Nigeria in her early twenties, that is now comprised of a cookery school, supper clubs, a gourmet brownie business and a soon-to-be launched gourmet spice range too!

From her experiences launching a catering company in her late teens, how that led her to a career in TV and why she now feels comfortable managing her own PR; why her first event in London didn't quite go to plan, why she'll never shy away from her mistakes as a result and her advice for consoling unhappy customers as well; to how she struggles to manage the loneliness that comes with being your own boss and why she's learnt to surround herself with people that want to see her win... plus a heart to heart on the topic of 'luck' in business and why I personally feel like hard work is normally to blame (!)... I'm so grateful that we ended up chatting on here instead of the panel because as you're about to hear, we covered a whole lot! This is Lerato's story to date...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts who happen to be the only place in the UK where you can register a limited company and open a business account in one process, for free! Essentially, for those of you that want to set up as a Limited Company or switch from being a sole trader to a Limited Company like I did, all you do is search the company name you would like, enter your personal and business details and in a matter of minutes, your limited company application will be sent, your Tide business current account will be set up, and you're good to go! For more information if you happen to be interested, please feel free to visit: www.tide.co/start 

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Lerato Foods @leratofoods

Tide @tidebanking

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of chatting to Lauren Armes over Zoom for this week's episode who happens to be the ever so amicable Founder of the industry-leading wellness platform that is Welltodo - a company with global reach that she launched five years ago (with a logo designed in Microsoft Paint by Lauren herself I should add!) that now comfortably turns over six figures each year, through its ever-growing readership, successful event series and career platform.

We chat about what Lauren's days prior to launching Welltodo looked like, when she spent months toying with the idea of launching everything from a healthy coffee alternative to London's latest juice bar around a job that she despised and how she stayed motivated before landing on her 'lightbulb' moment. We also discuss why she's stopped treating personal development as a 'nice to have' and instead embraced it wholly as an essential tool for growth - both personally and professionally. Plus how she navigates the fine line between growing and nurturing a really close team whilst juggling the sometimes difficult conversations that are part and parcel of being the boss; and how a declined card forced her to shift her mindset towards money and her advice for female founders who might not feel comfortable dealing with numbers...

There were so many parallels between Lauren's experience and my own journey launching She can. She did. - so much so that I found myself nodding to pretty much everything she said - so I really do hope you find what she had to say as inspiring as I did. This is Lauren's story to date...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts who happen to be the only place in the UK where you can register a limited company and open a business account in one process, for free! Essentially, for those of you that want to set up as a Limited Company or switch from being a sole trader to a Limited Company like I did, all you do is search the company name you would like, enter your personal and business details and in a matter of minutes, your limited company application will be sent, your Tide business current account will be set up, and you're good to go! For more information if you happen to be interested, please feel free to visit: www.tide.co/start 

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Welltodo @welltodoglobal

Lauren Armes @laurenarmes

Tide @tidebanking

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I first met today's guest at the very first She can. She did. - Midweek Mingle back in April 2018 and have followed her story somewhat enthusiastically ever since! (So much so that I hounded her about coming on this podcast at one of the Midweek Mingles last year and she politely asked that I ask again in a few months' time so she could - rightly so - discuss her new brand post-launch!) The lady in question being Gemma Harling, Founder of the high performance, vegan, cruelty-free skincare brand with a conscience that is Luneia - a beauty brand that has quickly become a Sunday evening staple for me because oh my gosh, its debut face mask is genuinely the best face mask I've ever used!

(Gemma's kindly offering all She can. She did. listeners 20% off with the code SCSD20 should you wish to try it by the way!)

Now the She can. She did. podcast, as you might well know, has been designed to shed light on the honest realities - warts and all - that female founders push through behind the scenes to get to where they are today and, having watched Gemma plug away at building not just one but two businesses in the past two years, it's safe to say that she is a woman who has pushed through a fair bit!

Launching her already award-winning beauty brand precisely one month before she became a Mum for the first time and the world went into lockdown a few weeks later, being one of many prime examples of that! 

From how she rediscovered her sense of self after walking away from a corporate career that in her own words, once defined her (Gemma was, prior to becoming self-employed, a Senior Buyer for Cosmetics at AS Watson Group); why she decided to launch a service-based business before launching Luneia and how she stayed motivated in the face of multiple delays and setbacks with the brand thereafter; to her approach to diversity and inclusion as a beauty brand in light of recent events relating to the Black Lives Matter movement; I was so looking forward to finally interviewing Gemma in full and in no way shape or form did her story disappoint...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts who have, in recent weeks set up a Small Business Solidarity series on their website to champion and promote Tide users and showcase the various ways in which Tide members are supporting others as we all navigate the coming weeks and months. From free SEO resources and business coaching sessions from fellow business owners to free online fitness sessions and meditation recordings too, there's so many useful offers to take advantage of so please do feel free to have a look here: www.tide.co/solidarity-initiatives

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Luneia @luneia

Gemma Harling @gems_m

Tide @tidebanking

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, I got to chat to the creative genius behind By Chenai that is Chenai Bukutu who I first came across a few weeks ago when she, along with Mako Ndoro of Berry & Brie, created a series on Instagram that went live on Black Out Tuesday that aimed to amplify the voices and experiences of black creatives within the wedding industry.

As a UK-based wedding and event planner - the J Lo 'Wedding Planner' fan in me was very much looking forward to this chat by the way - Chenai works with a roster of clients each year who appreciate the finer aesthetics and details in life, and always goes above and beyond to provide the extra special touches that transform events from mundane and ordinary to magical and memorable. 

From the research that Chenai undertook in the early days to ensure that she promoted integrity and professionalism from day one and how she's approached charging for and promoting her services as her experience has increased thereafter; how she dealt with the coronavirus's colossal impact on the wedding industry along with why she's put flexible boundaries in place for both her clients and her own wellbeing; to why she feels more confident about discussing why the wedding industry needs to be more diverse today than she did a few weeks back and how her confidence in general has evolved since launching By Chenai; this is Chenai's business story in full to date! I hope you enjoy it!

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts who have, in recent weeks set up a Small Business Solidarity series on their website to champion and promote Tide users and showcase the various ways in which Tide members are supporting others as we all navigate the coming weeks and months. From free SEO resources and business coaching sessions from fellow business owners to free online fitness sessions and meditation recordings too, there's so many useful offers to take advantage of so please do feel free to have a look here: www.tide.co/solidarity-initiatives

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

By Chenai @bychenai

Tide @tidebanking

PS. Given that this was recorded in lockdown, there's a few wifi issues where we ran into a few technical hiccups (!) so please do take those with a pinch of salt when they crop up!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anyone that has been to any of the She can. She did. - Midweek Mingles knows my love for anything gin-related and when the Founders of said gin brands are LOVELY alongside that, my job gets a whole lot more fun! With that in mind, I can safely say that this is one of my favourite interviews to date.

Back in January, I paid a visit to Liz's home in Oxfordshire to interview both Liz and Cam about the story behind Collagin - a gin brand that as the name suggests, has added collagen which the two launched after a PR campaign that they worked on together in their old job went viral and they realised that their playful concept had legs... 

From why they were forced to abandon the gin's original name in the early days and how they navigated launching the brand whilst both holding down full-time jobs; their honest insights into how their lifestyles have been forced to adjust since launching Collagin and why despite getting the backing from two Dragons on Dragons Den, they opted to walk away from both offers; to how they've handled scepticism from peers in the industry (and some former friends too) and how they've navigated struggles with cash flow as the company expands; we had such a fun morning recording this episode so I really do hope, as always that you enjoy it.

PS. I just want to say a giant thank you to Liz and Cam for their patience whilst waiting for this episode to air but as you will hopefully be able to tell in a minute, I personally think that it was worth the wait! Enjoy!

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts who have, in recent weeks set up a Small Business Solidarity series on their website to champion and promote Tide users and showcase the various ways in which Tide members are supporting others as we all navigate the coming weeks and months. From free SEO resources and business coaching sessions from fellow business owners to free online fitness sessions and meditation recordings too, there's so many useful offers to take advantage of so please do feel free to have a look here: www.tide.co/solidarity-initiatives

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Collagin @collagin

Tide @tidebanking

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Having met Lucy a number of times at many of the London She can. She did. - Midweek Mingles, it was so good to finally sit down for a proper chat with her last Monday morning and hear her story in full for this episode!

Not only is hospitality notorious for its unsociable hours and physically demanding nature (which often gets overlooked when people dream about running a business like Lucy's), in recent months, aside from the travel industry of course, its also the industry that's been hit hardest from the current lockdown.

With that in mind, as well as detailing the battles that she fought to simply get the keys to the Micropub throughout 2016, as well as how she navigated burnout in year one, a legal battle in year two and a few not so successful events post-launch too, Lucy also opens up about how 2020 has played out so far and how The Dodo Micropub has evolved in this Covid-dominated world. She's a force to be reckoned with. (As Ealing Council quickly learnt..!)

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts who have, in recent weeks set up a Small Business Solidarity series on their website to champion and promote Tide users and showcase the various ways in which Tide members are supporting others as we all navigate the coming weeks and months. From free SEO resources and business coaching sessions from fellow business owners to free online fitness sessions and meditation recordings too, there's so many useful offers to take advantage of so please do feel free to have a look here: www.tide.co/solidarity-initiatives

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

The Dodo Micropub @thedodomicropub

Tide @tidebanking

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 six months to go live... and let's face it, the world looks rather different today than it did back then! Thankfully though, having checked in with Amy in recent weeks, bar having to cancel one of her retreats that was due to take place in Bali, her business has continued to thrive this year so this chat still rings true today.

As a transformation and healing mentor, spiritual coach and speaker, Amy's work is guiding a generation of women around the world to overcome their inner critic and manifest a reality of love, purpose, prosperity and pleasure. As a newbee in London with zero network when she first launched her business however, it's safe to say that Amy's had to work her socks off to get to where she is today and for that reason, I have a whole lot of respect for her. From why asking the simple question that is "how can I support you?" helped so much in the early days and how her attitude to money has evolved over the years; to her useful advice for handling plagiarism and IP infringement and why she feels more confident in herself than ever before; Amy oozes confidence, she really does walk the talk so it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that she's as successful as she is. This is the behind the scenes story of Amy's journey so far...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts who have, in recent weeks set up a Small Business Solidarity series on their website to champion and promote Tide users and showcase the various ways in which Tide members are supporting others as we all navigate the coming weeks and months. From free SEO resources and business coaching sessions from fellow business owners to free online fitness sessions and meditation recordings too, there's so many useful offers to take advantage of so please do feel free to have a look here: www.tide.co/solidarity-initiatives

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Amy Rushworth @thisisamyrushworth

Tide @tidebanking

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 for her 40th birthday. Having been inspired by a visit to a hair salon in the Big Apple that made her realise that curly hair is something to be celebrated, not ashamed of - she was, for the majority of her life up until then, a serial hair straightener - Michelle returned to London with the determination to create a product that allowed curly haired people to feel equally as empowered by their hair as she now did.

Two years of testing formulations and coming up with a brand identity later - which came with a myriad of hurdles in itself - BOUCLÈME was born. From branding issues and Brexit to Covid-19 and the loneliness that often comes hand in hand with being the boss, not to mention growth pains and how she juggles running a business with managing her team and being a Mum to two teenage daughters too, Michele's honesty in this episode is what She can. She did. is all about. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy it... 

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts who have, in recent weeks set up a Small Business Solidarity series on their website to champion and promote Tide users and showcase the various ways in which Tide members are supporting others as we all navigate the coming weeks and months. From free SEO resources and business coaching sessions from fellow business owners to free online fitness sessions and meditation recordings too, there's so many useful offers to take advantage of so please do feel free to have a look here: www.tide.co/solidarity-initiatives

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

BOUCLÈME @boucleme

Tide @tidebanking

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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-titled jewellery brand, Anisha Parmar London. Personally hand made by Anisha from her studio that is now in Derby, Anisha Parmar London celebrates Anisha's British Asian heritage through a number of bold, intricate and authentic designs.

Recorded on Saturday morning, this is the story that Anisha has been on behind the scenes over the past five years and how she's navigated stepping away from a career path that as a first generation British-born Asian, in her own words, "was expected of her", to create a brand and business for herself that she is truly passionate about.

From the early days of Anisha Parmar London when Anisha set up shop at Spitalfields Market and how she went about getting the brand in front of key buyers thereafter; why she decided to switch from wholesale to BTC sales in the years that followed and how that business model has played out in lockdown; to what her internal journey as a female founder has looked and felt like in reality as her confidence, self-care routine and effort to juggle running a business with her personal life has evolved along the way too; it's one inspiring story, one that I won't be forgetting anytime soon, and for that reason, as always, I hope you enjoy it!

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts who have, in recent weeks set up a Small Business Solidarity series on their website to champion and promote Tide users and showcase the various ways in which Tide members are supporting others as we all navigate the coming weeks and months. From free SEO resources and business coaching sessions from fellow business owners to free online fitness sessions and meditation recordings too, there's so many useful offers to take advantage of so please do feel free to have a look here: www.tide.co/solidarity-initiatives

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Anisha Parmar London @anishaparmarlondon

Tide @tidebanking

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 share how Covid-19 has impacted them in detail whilst staying quiet myself, pretending that it's all been plain sailing for me!)

Plus, given that She can. She did. might look a little different in the months to come - if all goes to plan, that is - I also wanted to let you know where I will be focusing my energy once this final episode goes live and these daily podcasts that have been provided quite a comforting (albeit marginally stressful!) routine over the past few weeks, come to an end...

From the early-March panic and my decision to postpone The Midweek Mingle roadshow; the mounting pressure I felt to respond to the panic I was seeing on Instagram from the She can. She did. audience and why I decided to launch this daily series as a result; to my mid-April Zoom call with a female investor and the kick up the bum that call gave me to take matters into my own hands when it comes to long-term plans for She can. She did. going forward; this is how the past two months have played out for me behind the scenes and where I will be channelling my energy from the moment I push this final episode of this series live...

What a turbulent, testing and just downright bonkers few weeks it's been girls! Wherever you are listening to this right now, I really do hope that you enjoy the episode/ find it to be of comfort in some way and thank you all so much for tuning in to this series daily. From the bottom of my heart, it's meant millions. Fi x

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Tide @tidebanking

Terms & Conditions:

This offer applies only to the Tide account associated with the email address used at sign up and cannot be transferred. You must upgrade to Tide Plus by 23:49 on 24/05/2020 and include code 'PODCAST' in the support chat. You'll then be charged pro-rata from the date of subscription until the end of the purchase month and in full on the 4th of each following month. To honour the offer of free Tide Plus subscription for 3 months, we'll refund the pro-rata amount you've paid into your account 3 days after the initial purchase. For the following two calendar months, we will also credit your account with £9.99 plus VAT (the subscription price plus VAT) by the 30th of each month. Full terms and conditions can be found here: https://www.tide.co/terms/competition-terms/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 likes of Facebook, Airbnb and Conde Nast along with celebrities like Tom Hardy, Kim Catrall, Paul McCartney, Jesy Nelson and Damien Lewis (!!!!). Yet when the coronavirus came along and put an end to all public gatherings however, as Toria goes on to say in this episode, every single job that the sisters had spent the past year planning and hustling for, got cancelled overnight and the two were forced to revisit their business model and find a new way to work...

From content creation, teaching and introducing an entirely different revenue stream into the business (that comes with an entirely different business model to learn and adjust to quickly) this is how Toria has adapted behind the scenes and what the past eight weeks have looked and felt like for her in reality...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Grape & Fig @grapeandfig

Tide @tidebanking

Terms & Conditions:

This offer applies only to the Tide account associated with the email address used at sign up and cannot be transferred. You must upgrade to Tide Plus by 23:49 on 24/05/2020 and include code 'PODCAST' in the support chat. You'll then be charged pro-rata from the date of subscription until the end of the purchase month and in full on the 4th of each following month. To honour the offer of free Tide Plus subscription for 3 months, we'll refund the pro-rata amount you've paid into your account 3 days after the initial purchase. For the following two calendar months, we will also credit your account with £9.99 plus VAT (the subscription price plus VAT) by the 30th of each month. Full terms and conditions can be found here: https://www.tide.co/terms/competition-terms/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 to work out who to reach out to for these episodes because every ounce of me know that she would create something special to help throughout all of this.

And true to form, that she has!

With a large chunk of June's work pre-March spent styling corporate events that came hand in hand with equally big corporate budgets, along with a number of weddings - both at home and abroad - which have been postponed for the foreseeable future as we all know, I caught up with her on Tuesday morning therefore, to find out where she's focusing her energy at present. As a woman who is always going out of her way to help and support those around her, I also wanted to check in and find out how she is looking after herself throughout all of this too.

She's genuinely one of the kindest women out there and never fails to provide reassurance when you need to hear it most. This is what June had to say...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Junie Poonie @junie_poonie

Tide @tidebanking

Terms & Conditions:

This offer applies only to the Tide account associated with the email address used at sign up and cannot be transferred. You must upgrade to Tide Plus by 23:49 on 24/05/2020 and include code 'PODCAST' in the support chat. You'll then be charged pro-rata from the date of subscription until the end of the purchase month and in full on the 4th of each following month. To honour the offer of free Tide Plus subscription for 3 months, we'll refund the pro-rata amount you've paid into your account 3 days after the initial purchase. For the following two calendar months, we will also credit your account with £9.99 plus VAT (the subscription price plus VAT) by the 30th of each month. Full terms and conditions can be found here: https://www.tide.co/terms/competition-terms/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, to not just survive but thrive since the UK went into lockdown.

Given that pre-Covid, Oh My Cakery! relied heavily on bespoke orders for events to make money however, along with their forever sold-out 'Cake Fridays' where customers would travel in bulk to their shop and stock up on their favourite Oh My Cakery! treats, I wanted to find out what the recent pivot(s) has meant for both Kirsty and her Mum in reality behind the scenes. As a Mum to two daughters - 16 year old Tiegen who was due to sit her GCSEs this month and her youngest daughter, Neve who also has cerebral palsy, Kirsty also opened up to me about how she's managing family life in lockdown alongside a business that's busier than ever before...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Oh My Cakery! @oh.my.cakery

Tide @tidebanking

Terms & Conditions:

This offer applies only to the Tide account associated with the email address used at sign up and cannot be transferred. You must upgrade to Tide Plus by 23:49 on 24/05/2020 and include code 'PODCAST' in the support chat. You'll then be charged pro-rata from the date of subscription until the end of the purchase month and in full on the 4th of each following month. To honour the offer of free Tide Plus subscription for 3 months, we'll refund the pro-rata amount you've paid into your account 3 days after the initial purchase. For the following two calendar months, we will also credit your account with £9.99 plus VAT (the subscription price plus VAT) by the 30th of each month. Full terms and conditions can be found here: https://www.tide.co/terms/competition-terms/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 relentless in recent weeks (overtaking their Christmas orders and then some!); this is how the past two months have played out for Cole & Co, how Hannah's day-to-day priorities have been impacted as a result and why despite the natural fit and numerous recommendations, she hasn't added hand sanitiser to the company's offering...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Cole & Co @cole_and_co

Tide @tidebanking

Terms & Conditions:

This offer applies only to the Tide account associated with the email address used at sign up and cannot be transferred. You must upgrade to Tide Plus by 23:49 on 24/05/2020 and include code 'PODCAST' in the support chat. You'll then be charged pro-rata from the date of subscription until the end of the purchase month and in full on the 4th of each following month. To honour the offer of free Tide Plus subscription for 3 months, we'll refund the pro-rata amount you've paid into your account 3 days after the initial purchase. For the following two calendar months, we will also credit your account with £9.99 plus VAT (the subscription price plus VAT) by the 30th of each month. Full terms and conditions can be found here: https://www.tide.co/terms/competition-terms/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 increased attention and surge of orders for her designs in recent months, as the world went into lockdown; we all traded heels and dresses in for leggings and baggy jumpers; and supply chains faced severe disruptions with so many goods held at various customs worldwide; it's safe to say that the past few weeks have been anything but straightforward for Hayley. With that in mind, I wanted to find out how the designer has adapted over the past few weeks, not just from a business perspective but as a single Mum of two eight year old boys too... 

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Hayley Scanlan @hayleyscanlanstudio

Tide @tidebanking

Terms & Conditions:

This offer applies only to the Tide account associated with the email address used at sign up and cannot be transferred. You must upgrade to Tide Plus by 23:49 on 24/05/2020 and include code 'PODCAST' in the support chat. You'll then be charged pro-rata from the date of subscription until the end of the purchase month and in full on the 4th of each following month. To honour the offer of free Tide Plus subscription for 3 months, we'll refund the pro-rata amount you've paid into your account 3 days after the initial purchase. For the following two calendar months, we will also credit your account with £9.99 plus VAT (the subscription price plus VAT) by the 30th of each month. Full terms and conditions can be found here: https://www.tide.co/terms/competition-terms/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 before since the UK went into lockdown, I wanted to find out how Krissy and her team have responded to the increased demand for apps like Tone + Scuplt since early March and how she plans to retain new customers when the gyms re-open...

With so many eyes and ears looking to her for answers on a daily basis, I was also interested to find out how she handled the responsibility of responding to the crisis and figuring out what to say to her two million plus followers. This is what she had to say...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Krissy Cela @krissycela

Tone + Sculpt @toneandscupltapp

Tide @tidebanking

Terms & Conditions:

This offer applies only to the Tide account associated with the email address used at sign up and cannot be transferred. You must upgrade to Tide Plus by 23:49 on 24/05/2020 and include code 'PODCAST' in the support chat. You'll then be charged pro-rata from the date of subscription until the end of the purchase month and in full on the 4th of each following month. To honour the offer of free Tide Plus subscription for 3 months, we'll refund the pro-rata amount you've paid into your account 3 days after the initial purchase. For the following two calendar months, we will also credit your account with £9.99 plus VAT (the subscription price plus VAT) by the 30th of each month. Full terms and conditions can be found here: https://www.tide.co/terms/competition-terms/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 morning, I hopped on to Zoom to chat to the wonderful Emily Robertson, Co-Founder of Roundwood Gin (SUCH good gin if you haven't tried it by the way!) to find out what that pivot has involved in reality for her behind the scenes. Given that product development for new products would typically take months and Emily is and always has been a planner at heart, this is how Emily has adapted to the sudden change and need for speed in recent weeks and where her priorities for the distillery lie going forward...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Roundwood Gin @roundwoodgin

Tide @tidebanking

Terms & Conditions:

This offer applies only to the Tide account associated with the email address used at sign up and cannot be transferred. You must upgrade to Tide Plus by 23:49 on 24/05/2020 and include code 'PODCAST' in the support chat. You'll then be charged pro-rata from the date of subscription until the end of the purchase month and in full on the 4th of each following month. To honour the offer of free Tide Plus subscription for 3 months, we'll refund the pro-rata amount you've paid into your account 3 days after the initial purchase. For the following two calendar months, we will also credit your account with £9.99 plus VAT (the subscription price plus VAT) by the 30th of each month. Full terms and conditions can be found here: https://www.tide.co/terms/competition-terms/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 programme set up by the European VC fund in 2018 that gives 15 angel investors across Europe $100,000 each to invest in early-stage startups.

With that in mind, given that Covid-19 has disrupted so many businesses to date and created so much uncertainty for founders looking to raise investment - myself included - I wanted to chat to Deepali to find out what impact the virus has had on her plans for investing in the coming months and what advice she has for those of us who had been gearing up to raise funds...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Deepali Nangia @d_nangia

Tide @tidebanking

Terms & Conditions:

This offer applies only to the Tide account associated with the email address used at sign up and cannot be transferred. You must upgrade to Tide Plus by 23:49 on 24/05/2020 and include code 'PODCAST' in the support chat. You'll then be charged pro-rata from the date of subscription until the end of the purchase month and in full on the 4th of each following month. To honour the offer of free Tide Plus subscription for 3 months, we'll refund the pro-rata amount you've paid into your account 3 days after the initial purchase. For the following two calendar months, we will also credit your account with £9.99 plus VAT (the subscription price plus VAT) by the 30th of each month. Full terms and conditions can be found here: https://www.tide.co/terms/competition-terms/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, the Founder of the shoemaking school was forced to postpone every class and in the space of few weeks, has shifted to an entirely different business model.

From staying more connected with her team remotely than ever before, launching the I Can Make Shoes online shoemaking course that had been in the pipeline for months, and managing to juggle a schedule that has definitely not slowed down in recent weeks, this is how the past six weeks have played out for Amanda and how she's responded to the Covid-19 storm... 

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

I Can Make Shoes @icanmake_shoes

Tide @tidebanking

Terms & Conditions:

This offer applies only to the Tide account associated with the email address used at sign up and cannot be transferred. You must upgrade to Tide Plus by 23:49 on 24/05/2020 and include code 'PODCAST' in the support chat. You'll then be charged pro-rata from the date of subscription until the end of the purchase month and in full on the 4th of each following month. To honour the offer of free Tide Plus subscription for 3 months, we'll refund the pro-rata amount you've paid into your account 3 days after the initial purchase. For the following two calendar months, we will also credit your account with £9.99 plus VAT (the subscription price plus VAT) by the 30th of each month. Full terms and conditions can be found here: https://www.tide.co/terms/competition-terms/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 news of Covid-19's severity started to gain momentum and the nation started mentally preparing for lockdown, The Big Bakes team were inundated with enquiries from members of the public about their bookings and Eloise and her Co-Founder Adam were forced to close both tents. 

With that in mind, I caught up with Eloise on Friday afternoon via Zoom to find out what she has prioritised over the past couple of months to ensure that The Big Bakes survives... From growing their social presence with recipes, interactive bake alongs and some pretty amazing giveaways; furloughing staff to ensure that the whole team still gets paid (and how she's gone about making sure that the team stay connected throughout this time); to how Eloise is spending her days now and ensuring that she's looking after herself throughout this surreal time as well; every time I interview Eloise I always admire her perspective - she has a unique ability to articulate complex business decisions in a really down to earth way which I'm always grateful for - and for that reason, I'm hoping that you will find her observations as useful as I did...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

The Big Bakes @thebig_bakes

Tide @tidebanking

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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 these bonus episodes in the meantime!

Given that Parcel - the London-based gifting brand that Natalie launched in 2017 - was born from the simple notion that it's nice to be nice, it's safe to say that as the UK went into lockdown and the nation scrambled to find ways to show loved ones that we're thinking of them, even if we're not there, Natalie has been busier than ever before... 

Yesterday afternoon therefore, the two of us caught up via trusty old Zoom so that I could find out what the realities of that increased demand at Parcel HQ (aka. Natalie's house!) has looked and felt like behind the scenes. As a first-time Mum to be who is due in a matter of weeks too, I also wanted to find out how she is preparing for the little ones arrival whilst juggling the logistics of running a business that's more in demand than ever.

If you're a regular listener, you'll know my feelings about any woman that juggles motherhood/impending motherhood with running a business too. To me, they are superwomen incarnate and Natalie only helped to cement that thought in this chat! She's pretty incredible. This is what she had to say...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Parcel @parcellondon

Tide @tidebanking

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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 and the Founder of the BEST YOU movement that is gaining well-deserved momentum since its launch in 2017, by encouraging women to feel beautiful and confident with and without make-up on.

Over my first coffee of the day yesterday morning therefore, I had a Zoom call with Sasha to find out what impact the coronavirus has had, not just on her work but her mindset towards both her make-up career and BEST YOU in recent weeks and where her priorities lie for both going forward... 

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Sasha Louise Pallari @sashalouisepallari

Tide @tidebanking

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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 on lockdown with nowhere but the fridge to go at the moment however (!) and Heidi was due to launch the Aesthetic Laundry spring/summer collection of dresses any day now, I caught up with Heidi over Zoom (and coffees) to find out how the coronavirus has impacted her and her team so far...

With one of her full-time employees stuck in Australia because of the travel restrictions; suppliers closing shop whilst the demand for jogging bottoms and sweats to work from home in soared; and mounting pressure from some of those around her to drop everything and start producing face masks instead; here's how the past few weeks have played out for Heidi and why I wholeheartedly believe that she can and she will find a way to get through this thing... 

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Aesthetic Laundry @aesthetic_laundry

Tide @tidebanking

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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 was a party to celebrate the fact that the two had been together for fifteen years! A story, which the hopeless romantic in me can't get enough of!)

Anyway, when I caught up with Rachel on Friday afternoon via Zoom last week, it was the fourth Friday in a row that she was preparing for a weekend away from the boutique for the first time since launching her business eight years ago... With the boutique closed until further notice and her brides that were due to wed in the coming weeks forced to postpone, I caught up with Rachel to find out how she's coping behind the scenes so far and of course how she's adapted her plans for the boutique going forward... 

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Rachel Burgess Bridal Boutique @rachel_burgess_bridal_boutique

Tide @tidebanking

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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 audience will love, said product sells out within minutes...

For that reason, given that in times of crisis, many turn to their favourite influencers for escapism; others turn to them for answers and reassurance; and then there's the pesky little trolls that pipe up and cease the opportunity to be more vicious and condemning than ever before; I wanted to find out how the coronavirus outbreak has impacted Lydia's day-to-day runnings of the business, the partnership deals that she has with brands and her longer-term strategy for her brand moving forward.

With a team of four to manage directly, her first product-launch brewing and various brand partnerships on pause whilst we're in lockdown, this is what she had to say...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Lydia Millen @lydiamillen

Tide @tidebanking

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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...!) prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Nat's days would be spent travelling to conferences and events all over the world with her team in order to turn key messages from presentations and speeches into visual drawings that could be digested quickly.

As the Natalka Design slogan says, she 'draw(s) peoples attention for you!'

Given that events all over the world have come to a standstill though, this is how the past few weeks have played out for Nat and how she's adapted both business models to ensure that both companies stay relevant in the weeks to come... We were a tad giddy recording this last week because we were both signing off for Easter... I hope you enjoy it!

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Natalka Design @natalkadesign

Doodleledo @doodleledo

Tide @tidebanking

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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, fashion brand consultant with over 12 years experience in fashion buying and design management who helps purpose-driven designers and fashion brands become financially sustainable fashion businesses.

From how she responded quickly to the lockdown and launched the course in a timely manner given that her target audience were sat at home with new-found time on their hands; how she approached selling and marketing sensitively during this time (given that there's so much conflicting noise about what's "right" and "wrong" behaviour as business owners at present); to why I've personally been loving Elizabeth's new found skill for making GIFs in recent weeks; this is how Covid-19 has impacted Elizabeth's approach to running her business in recent weeks and her timely advice for each and every one of us...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Elizabeth Stiles @elizabethstilesuk

Tide @tidebanking

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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 Cardiff Midweek Mingles last October, when I heard that cafes were being forced to close in light of recent events, Lauren, along with a handful of other amazing cafe owners I know, immediately came to mind. Given that she'd taken out a Start-Up Business loan to launch both cafes, has overheads in the form of rent and a team of twelve to look after too, I wanted to find out what impact the imposed-closure of cafes like hers has had on her plans for Wild Thing to date and how she's adapted her business model and adjusted to this new way of living behind the scenes.

From launching a crowdfunding campaign to provide a contact-free delivery service to those who are most vulnerable and need access to food during this time; providing nourishing bowls of food to feed the NHS; and going above and beyond to ensure that her team feel reassured; I have personally found Lauren's actions and outlook over the past few weeks to be so reassuring and hope you find her story to be as comforting as I did...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Wild Thing @wildthingcardiff

Tide @tidebanking

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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 installations that I could spend hours swooning over - it can't come as a surprise that Katie and Terri's revenue model relies heavily on event styling, weddings and styled shoots.

Given that the current pandemic has put a stop to all of the above and I've seen a number of florists and floral designers facing similar challenges in recent weeks, I caught up with both Katie and Terri via Zoom last Thursday afternoon, to find out how the past few weeks have played out for them both behind the scenes...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this bonus series is sponsored by Tide Business Current Accounts. Read the latest news, updates and help for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak on their dedicated hub: www.tide.co/blog/coronavirus

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Worm @wormlondon

Tide @tidebanking

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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 mission whilst continuing to manage her two businesses and team remotely.

A week into her new life out there however, Jordan went into what has been quoted as "the most extreme lockdown in the world"...

With travel put on pause worldwide and a business that relies heavily on sponsorship and affiliate sales from travel bookings within her community, Girls That Scuba's revenue fell by 80% and overnight, Sarah's plans for the next few months went into disarray.

This is the extraordinary journey that Sarah's been on since then and her timely advice for all of us as we continue to adapt to this somewhat surreal chapter...

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Sarah Richards @coffeethentravel

Girls That Scuba @girlsthatscuba

A Waste Free World @awastefreeworld

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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 space of just three days last month, Rosie lost 80% of her clients at LFA (at the time of this recording on Monday, that stat sits at 90%) and in her own words, within days had no choice but to adopt 'business survival mode'. Having become a Mum for the first time seven weeks ago too - a period that alone is often cited as one of the most overwhelming chapters in mothers' lives - and responsible for two teams on top of that too, this is how the past few weeks have played out for Rosie and what 'business survival mode' has involved in reality behind the scenes... 

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Rosie Davies-Smith @rosie_daviessmith

PR Dispatch @prdispatch

LFA @lfa_agency

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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 spoke to a Founder who can wholeheartedly relate. As the Co-Founder of Cake Drop - the company that delivers the yummiest cakes from London's best independent bakeries direct to London offices in zone 1 and 2 - Anna Ward has had to have some seriously tough conversations in recent weeks given that her business up until early March, thrived on office culture.

With no choice but to re-evaluate Cake Drop's entire business model since the UK went into lockdown, this is an insight into how the past few weeks have played out for Anna and her sister behind the scenes and the temporary measures that they've introduced to ensure that there's a business still standing in months to come...

I won't be forgetting this story anytime soon and I hope you find it to be of comfort in some way too.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Cake Drop @cakedropldn

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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 landed in Australia two days before the UK went into lockdown, over the past fortnight Sophie has battled with various challenges that have emerged for the Sophie Tea brand in the wake of the world's response to the coronavirus outbreak. Yet in the midst of that, as she goes on to say, in many ways the pandemic has forced her to reassess her business model and has given her permission to focus solely on being the creative that she is. Having caught the attention of the prestigious Saatchi Gallery and Sotherby's in recent weeks, adapted her payment plans and raised thousands of pounds for charity in the most creative ways possible, this is how the past few weeks have played out for Sophie and her team back in London and how together, they've adapted their offerings to ensure that the Sophie Tea brand continues to soar... 

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Sophie Tea Art @sophieteaart

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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 exploded last year and her three companies have taken the fitness industry by storm.

From Tala - the sustainable and ethical sportswear brand made from recycled plastic bottles and factory offcuts; Shreddy - the app that provides its users with home workouts, classes and recipes to keep us all fit no matter where in the world we find ourselves to be; to ndstore.com/gb/">B_ND - the premium gym equipment brand that compliments said home workouts - it's unsurprising that the past few weeks have seen sales soar across all three companies. As regular gym goers have scrambled to find new ways to work out from home and more and more of us turn to fitness to keep both our physical and mental health in check as we all try our best to navigate this unprecedented way of life; I caught up with Grace via Zoom earlier this week to find out what impact the coronavirus has had not just on the sales and day-to-day running of her businesses but on her as a 22-year-old woman at the helm of all three too...

Having been awarded the well-deserved title of Natwest's 'Young Entrepreneur of The Year' in 2019 and as recently as last fortnight, discovered that she'd topped the charts in this year's prestigious Forbes '30 under 30' list (in the fiercely competitive retail and e-commerce section too); her maturity and humility throughout this chat failed to go unnoticed and I couldn't have respected her answers more.

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and was launched in August 2017.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Grace Beverley @gracebeverley

Tala @wearetala

Shreddy @shreddy

BND @b_ndstore

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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 the 100% natural, gluten-free and plant-based snack range that is Squirrel Sisters... aka. some of the tastiest snacks on the market at the moment in my opinion made all the more special by the fact that the brand has been self-funded from day one.

From how they've adapted and are continuing to find new ways to encourage sales elsewhere; their thoughts on comparison culture with so many brands offering worthwhile initiatives left, right and centre at present; and why clear communication has been key when dealing with the ongoing hurdles in their supply chain; the fact that these two have rolled their sleeves up and tackled their various obstacles head on over the past fortnight is a testament to their fitness as Founders in my opinion. Away from strictly business though, I'm so used to popping on Instagram and seeing the two sisters working together each day (with Sophie's baby daughter Lola always close by too of course) so given that the current lockdown has thrown many a spanner into the works when it comes to our day-to-day routines, I also wanted to find out how they're adapting to this temporary way of life apart and their advice for all of us should we find ourselves struggling to create a new routine too...

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and was launched in August 2017.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Squirrel Sisters @squirrelsisters

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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 unprecedented demand.

As the Founder of Nuddy - aka. the vegan, plastic free and cruelty free soap brand that aims to make bars of soap cool once again - Kassi Emadi has (unsurprisingly) had a pretty manic few weeks.

Whilst Nuddy's wholesale trade - which up until recently has been its primary focus - has dropped off the radar in recent weeks, this is the uplifting story of how Kassi has pivoted her focus in recent days and the reality of what a 700% increase in direct to consumer sales has meant for her, her business and her Mum and Dad who she's roped in to help too (legends!) behind the scenes. Whilst it's safe to say that it hasn't been the smoothest ride, I couldn't have loved recording this interview more and hope that Kassi's enthusiasm, positivity and determination to meet demand inspires you, as much as it did me on Monday afternoon when we recorded this chat.  

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and was launched in August 2017.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Nuddy @nuddyofficial

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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 People, a Trustee for The Lord Mayor’s Appeal, the first and only black person to be made a Trustee and Director of The Media Society, not to mention the Founder and CEO of Blue Moon - the executive search and diversity and inclusion consultancy based in London - it's safe to say that Jo is one incredibly busy lady; masterfully skilled in juggling numerous public engagements, board meetings, teams and various projects on a daily basis. As the name suggests, with over 12 years' experience championing diversity, inclusion and equality in the workplace behind her, the award-winning business owner has recently been appointed an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list too.

No biggie eh..!?

With that in mind therefore, I caught up with her on Friday afternoon last week (over Zoom of course) to find out what impact the coronavirus has had on her day-to-day life, business and mindset so far as well as her all-important advice for each and every one of us going forward...

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and was launched in August 2017.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Dr Joanna Abeyie @joanna_abeyie

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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 clarity with which she spoke when recounting the challenges she had faced on her business journey so far and since then, she has also provided such reassuring content which I have found to be so calming in recent days personally.

As the Founder of Magnify - a publishing house based in Shoreditch, focused on faith, feminism and fashion - up until recent days, Ruth's main focus has been on ensuring that her and her team deliver the brand's stunning print magazine and well-versed series of events. With said production on their latest magazine and events halted owing to the coronavirus outbreak however, this is how the past fortnight has played out for Ruth and where she plans to channel her energy in the coming months...

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and was launched in August 2017.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Magnify @magnifycollective

Ruth Yimika Afolabi @ruthymag

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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 British Elizabeth James's bridal brand felt in the movie, can't help but draw parallels every time I get a glimpse of the boutique online too!

Self-funded from the outset, having launched in 2005, Kate now leads a team of 13, has styled everyone from Kate Moss to Emilia Fox and her designs are cherished by brides worldwide.

Given that the wedding industry has been turned on its head in recent days however, with weddings being cancelled all over the country, I chatted to Kate on Tuesday afternoon to find out what impact the coronavirus has already had on Halfpenny London, not just from a business perspective but also as a Mum of one too...

Whether you're a business owner, a bride-to-be or a Mum yourself, I hope you find what she has to say as encouraging as I did... 

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and was launched in August 2017.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Halfpenny London @halfpennylondon

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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 the opportunity to experience the luxury of department store footfall, Megan's business is changing the future of the British High Street, one Curated Makers pop-up at a time!

Three days prior to this recording however, Megan announced that she was pressing pause on the most recent pop-up at John Lewis in Manchester's Trafford Centre as the iconic department store, for the first time in its 155 year history, closed its doors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Having just signed a three year lease on a storage unit, taken on staff to help run the pop-ups for the very first time, and pressed pause on future pop-ups for the time being too (which are the business's main source of income at present)... this is Megan's response to the coronavirus so far and how she plans to spend her time (wisely) in the coming months...   

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and was launched in August 2017.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Curated Makers @curatedmakers

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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 revenue.

With office rent, a mortgage that she is solely responsible for and outstanding printing costs to pay, her initial panic at the escalating impact that the pandemic had and continues to have on her livelihood, was (and still is) completely understandable.

Having met Cath at both the Bristol and Cardiff Midweek Mingles however, every ounce of me knew that she would come back fighting.

From offering to handwrite individual cards for her customers throughout the course of last week (including a few for some Tinder dates from days gone by that had slid into her DMs..!), channelling more energy into her website (a task that she's been meaning to do for months but couldn't find the time) to calling upon the unwavering community spirit in Cardiff to get behind small businesses like Sadler Jones and shop small; this is how Cath did exactly that...

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and was launched in August 2017.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Sadler Jones @sadlerjones

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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 as clients) back in 2016 after both being made redundant, it's safe to say that these two know a thing or two about making the very best our of a bad situation.

On Saturday morning, the three of us caught up on Zoom so that I could pick their brains for advice for each and every one of us and find out what they've prioritised as business owners to ensure that Mac + Moore weathers the Covid-19 storm...

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and was launched in August 2017.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Mac + Moore @macandmoore

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 for the day; but significantly, in light of the recent coronavirus outbreak and the unprecedented impact the virus has had on not just our day-to-day lives but the economy and for so many of us, our businesses too, they will be solely focused on the theme, ‘We can. We will.’…

...get through this, as business owners that is!

The aim of these episodes is simple.

Despite feeling the negative effects of the Coronavirus directly on She can. She did. throughout the course of last week in ways that I go on to explain in the intro, every ounce of me believes that if we all stay calm, grit our teeth and find new and innovative ways to adapt our business offerings over the coming weeks and months, together we can emerge from this storm with the brands that we've worked so hard to build (and our sanity too I hope!) intact.

I want these episodes to reinforce that.

To cut through the noise out there, to encourage every single one of us to persevere and to provide us all with ideas and inspiration so that we can learn from one another, think outside of the box and simply embrace the uncertainty that lies ahead.

With that in mind, I’ve decided to turn to the female founders that inspire me personally and ask them to open up to us all about the impact that the coronavirus has had and continues to have on their business and importantly for each and every one of us right now, find out how they are adapting to the current climate, evolving their strategies and navigating this uncertainty so that their business survives.

On Friday afternoon last week, I had my first Zoom call with Jenna Meek, the founder of SHRINE (formerly known as The Gypsy Shrine) - the disruptive cosmetic brand that Jenna launched on the back of festival culture in 2016 that has a product range stocked in multiple stores worldwide that spans everything from face jewels and glitter ranges worn by everyone from Paris Hilton to the cast of Love Island to her newly launched range of DIY hair dye kits with the world’s first hair dye dropper that allows you to create the exact shade you want.   

Two days prior to this recording, it was announced that Glastonbury Festival here in the UK had been cancelled and earlier this month Coachella has been postponed until later in the year. Two of the biggest dates in the SHRINE annual Calendar. This is Jenna's response to the outbreak so far...

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and was launched in August 2017.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

SHRINE @shrine

Jenna Meek @jenna_su

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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 former head of press for Estee Lauder and Tom Ford Beauty, turned business owner opens up about her story launching and growing Scamp & Dude to date - the multi-award winning, superpower infused clothing brand hailed by children and adults world-over for the message behind its trademarked slogan, ‘a superhero has my back.’

After going through the notoriously stressful process of selling her previous PR company that she had launched and grown prior to Scamp & Dude, Jo suffered a brain haemorage which left her hospitalised with no choice but to undergo brain surgery to remove a lump on her brain. It was whilst she was in hospital, away from her sons, then aged 1 and 3, that the idea for Scamp & Dude was born.

Over big cups of coffee (naturally!) the two of us sat down to chat about everything from the initial steps she took to get the clothing brand off the ground (whilst she was still recovering from brain surgery I must add) and how she ended up in the likes of Libertys within a matter of months; right through to how she went about galvanising hundreds of fellow business owners to help her confront one of the UK’s leading supermarkets head on when they blatantly copied her designs (and her advice for any of us should we find ourselves in a similar position).

There’s a lot to be learned from her story in my opinion and thankfully for us, she was forthcoming with advice. I hope you enjoy it!

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, SCSD50 going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Scamp & Dude @scampandude

Xero @xero

For more information about the She can. She did. - Midweek Mingle roadshow in London, Brighton and Cardiff throughout March, click here!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, they're not afraid to push back on industry norms and how that's helped to cement BYBI as a market leader in the clean beauty space. We also discuss what their journey from novice Co-Founders seeking a Virgin start-up loan to fundraising pros who've gone on to raise SEIS investment and two subsequent rounds of funding from VCs looked and felt like, in reality behind the scenes. The challenges of managing and sustaining a team who are as passionate about the business as they are; the never ending challenges of managing supply and demand; plus how they deal with rejection on a daily basis as Founders, be it from customers, investors and/or retailers alike are all topics that come up for discussion too.

Given the strict regulations that beauty brands must (understandably) adhere to, not to mention the numerous hidden costs involved in testing and launching beauty products, I always take my hat off to anyone that dares to venture into the space and Elsie and Dominika are no exception. I hope you enjoy it!

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, SCSD50 going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

BYBI @bybibeauty

Xero @xero

For more information about the She can. She did. - Midweek Mingle roadshow in London, Brighton and Cardiff throughout March, click here!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Born out of Lydia’s attempts to find a solution to the communication problems she was battling with on the wards as a junior doctor, Pando is now trusted by over 25,000 UK healthcare professionals, at the time of recording had raised £3million of investment with a second round of funding about to close and she, along with her two Co-Founders, now manage a team of 30 in London with imminent plans to go global...

Straight off the back of a twelve hour shift on the ward (seriously... the lady is superwoman incarnate!) Lydia joined me at Pando HQ in London to discuss the evolution of her story launching and growing Pando to date. From learning to embrace constructive feedback and tackle resistance to change from some hospitals head on and how they managed to win-over peers, healthcare professionals and select hospitals with their innovation thereafter; how she finds the energy to work on Pando post-shift and why for Lydia, being a business woman is a matter of necessity in order make change; to the strain that Pando has sometimes put on Lydia's marriage (given that she Co-Founded the company with her husband who is equally as passionate about the mission they're on!), why she never wants to give up the day job and what self-care looks like for her when she isn't working; I went home feeling more energised than I have done in a long time after this recording and I'm hoping that you'll soon hear why...

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, SCSD50 going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Pando @hellopando_

Xero @xero

For more information about the She can. She did. - Midweek Mingle roadshow in London, Brighton and Cardiff throughout March, click here!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 try and pronounce that in the intro by the way!) combines irresistible and unique flavours – crunchy noodle ramen chocolate bar anyone?! - with quirky, trend-led packaging that makes their chocolate bars stand out from the crowd.

Stocked in over 200 stores worldwide with some seriously cool collaborations with other brands to her company's name, in Lucy’s seriously funky house complete with baby pink convertible on the driveway, bright yellow front door and a hot pink staircase to set the scene (!), I caught up with the chocolatier in her Bedfordshire home mid-January, to delve deeper into her story launching, building and sustaining the company to date...

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, SCSD50 going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Creighton's Chocolaterie @creightonschocolaterie

Xero @xero

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 the NatWest everywoman Awards, The Big Bakes is an interactive bake off for all ages in London and Birmingham, that sees groups of up to ten compete head to head in a kitted out marquee (a la Great British Bake Off), with one participant being crowned star baker once the 90 minutes are up... oh, and you get to eat your cake at the end too.

What's not to love right!?

On a Tuesday afternoon at her beautiful cottage in Bedfordshire last fortnight therefore, the two of us sat down to discuss everything from the company bake off that sparked the idea for the business in the first place and how Eloise along with her former colleague turned Co-Founder Adam went about getting the idea off the ground in the six months that followed. We also chat about how she managed to get the likes of AEG to sponsor all of the appliances a few months in and replace the IKEA bits and bobs that they'd originally started with; why Eloise once spent a Valentines Day filling up huge tanks of diesel at the petrol station with one of the girls on her team to keep the generators running (a story which I personally loved because it only highlights that this running a business malarkey isn’t half as glamorous as it can seem from the outside at times!); as well as the struggles she’s faced behind the scenes when it comes to switching off, managing staff rotas and for the first eighteen months, juggling a full time job with the launch and everyday running of The Big London Bake; I remember receiving so many excited DMs from some of you when I announced that Eloise would be speaking at The Midweek Jingle in December last year... (Kirsty from Oh My Cakery, I'm looking at you here!) yet after sitting down with her and hearing her story in full, I now wholeheartedly understand why that was so…

Want to attend The Big Birmingham Bake?

Use the code ‘SHEBAKES10’ for exclusive discount to celebrate the launch of The Big Birmingham Bake! T&C’s - valid at the Birmingham site only until 15/2/20 to mark the launch of their newest venue. Feel free to book at www.thebigbirminghambake.com

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, SCSD50 going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

The Big Bakes @thebig_bakes

Xero @xero

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 that followed the wedding therefore, when Charlotte kindly agreed to speak at the third She can. She did. - Midweek Mingle! in London back in August 2018, it's safe to say that she was still very much knee-deep in 'Megan mania'. Overnight, the business that started very much from Charlotte's bedroom as a teenager became a global talking point with orders flooding in at a rate that many designers will only ever dream of. With that in mind, I invited Charlotte over to mine on a Friday afternoon last fortnight and asked her to unveil - over multiple cookies and coffees of course - what that sudden influx and demand meant for both her and her business behind the scenes in reality. She also (importantly) highlights the good few years of work and hardship that came prior to that apparent 'overnight success'. Plus, she reveals how she’s managed to visualise so many key moments in the company’s history before they materialised; why she decided to move all manufacturing of the bags from Britain to Spain and why, in her opinion, finding your purpose in life is the biggest pillar of health.

It was a joy to spend an afternoon catching up with her and hearing her story in full so as always, I hope you enjoy listening to us chat!

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Charlotte Elizabeth @charlottelizbth

Xero @xero

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 whole lot of accounting categories to choose from nowadays), we struggle to keep on top of filing our receipts in general, or - like me - you aren't from an accounting background so find finance jargon to be somewhat puzzling; making sense of our business accounts isn't the most glamorous job that we all have to conquer as business owners but it is a job that, let's face it, can't be ignored.

Especially when the self-assessment tax return deadline is fast approaching on 31st January and you are sat there, putting off filing yours for the first time... *cue the sweats*

With that in mind, given that there's only a fortnight to go before the self-assessment deadline is due (and I know how stressed I was about the whole process this time last year when I sat down to file mine for the first time) along with the fact that so many of you have listed 'financial freedom' as a goal for 2020, I thought it was about time that I recorded a special episode of the She can. She did. podcast, to provide some clarity on all things tax returns and bookkeeping for you all.  

'What does Fi know about tax returns?!' I hear you ask...

Truth be told, only the basics if I'm being honest! However (and it's a big however!) if you’ve been following She can. She did. for a while now, you’ll know that Xero aka. the accounting software app cherished by so many business owners worldwide, myself included – has been sponsoring She can. She did. since October 2018. They were the first company to take a chance on little old me and this business of mine because they instantly recognised what She can. She did. stood for and is trying to achieve and for that, not only am I eternally grateful to them but I’m also going to be (unapologetically) raving about how helpful their accountancy software is for business owners like you and me, henceforth wherever I go... or at least, to any female founder who mentions that bookkeeping/ accounting/ managing their finances, preparing their tax return etc.. is their biggest headache, because quite simply, Xero has been a game changer for me!

Last Monday morning therefore, I paid a visit to Xero HQ, to sit down for a chat with the wonderful Becca Smith who heads up all of the end-user education at Xero worldwide, to chat about how we can all prepare for the upcoming tax deadline (that is, if you haven’t done so already) and reduce any anxiety that we might hold when it comes to the topic of dealing with HMRC and filing your self-assessment. We also natter about how we can all better manage our bookkeeping throughout the year and why a simple change in mindset when it comes to the topic of accounts can empower us all and help us to really understand our business. Naturally, how Xero can help with all of the above does crop up too but I couldn’t help but bring it up because I genuinely swear by it!

I really hope you find it useful (and not as humdrum as the title might suggest!)

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Xero @xero

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 in the diary ASAP!

Not only does Lauren reveal how her role has evolved over the past six years as TeamO Marine has grown on an international scale, she also provides some really insightful advice on how to best approach a crowdfunding campaign given that she along with her brother went on to successfully raise £270,000 in the Spring of 2018; plus why they opted to move all production of the lifejackets from China to Southampton thereafter. We discuss their experiences patenting Oscar’s design early on and why they’re unwaveringly confident now when standing up to any sceptical comments from their (much larger, more established) competition. There's also some good old chat about what she’s learnt from being on the other side of the interview process when hiring a team and her advice on how best to remain rational instead of taking things personally when you’re the boss! 

I find it so fascinating when I speak to Founders further down the line than me because it always gets me so excited about the opportunities (and challenges..!) that arise when you persevere and this chat with Lauren was no different. Her clear vision and purpose-led ambition for her brand is infectious and I have a feeling each and everyone of us will be able to learn a lot from her story!  

She can. She did. is hosted by Fiona Grayson and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

TeamO Marine @teamomarine

Xero @xero

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 claim to be an expert in anything online and how - as a service-based business with no network in London when she moved here - she approached marketing Let Me Be Franckh and putting a price on her time and skills whilst actively building a supportive network of friends who are willing to challenge her. Plus, she offers some seriously powerful advice for us all on how we can all better manage stress, deal with our inner critic on a day-to-day basis and why the word 'yet' can be a great source of power!

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Let Me Be Franckh @letmebefranckh

Xero @xero

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 have cropped up into perspective in an attempt to keep calm under pressure since day one; what they’ve learnt about each other since going into business and how they’ve learnt to value their worth and up their prices as they’ve grown; to their welcomed admission that before launching Brush & Bubbles they had no idea what 'turnover' meant so if they can launch a business anyone can; I've admired these two ladies from afar since we met in early 2018, I genuinely mean it when I say that they're smashing it at the moment and I absolutely loved hearing their story in full!

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Brush & Bubbles @brushandbubbles

Xero @xero

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 makeup.com/">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 woman in her early-twenties; to how her relationships with family and friends have evolved as Jecca Blac’s expanded, given that at 23, Jess's current circumstances are starkly different to some of her friends; there’s an unwavering aura of confidence that she possesses in not just her brand but her ability to grow it into the empire that it has the potential to become and for that reason, I won’t be forgetting this chat anytime soon. Gosh, that was a long sentence...! *and breathe Fi*

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Jecca Blac @jeccablac

Xero @xero

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 That Scuba community were finding on their many dives around the world.

From how she dominated a niche in the scuba diving market and how she’s dealt with the backlash from men who have criticised her decision to focus solely on women (the two of us had quite a lot to say on that topic, as I’m sure you’ll soon hear!); what happened when the Girls That Scuba Instagram account was hacked for two weeks and how she navigated the threats from said hacker and the lessons that Sarah drew from the experience in its wake; to the impact that her Mum’s unexpected death in 2009 had on her mindset to not just launching her own business but life in general; Sarah’s story is an amazing reminder that you really can make a big impact on the world but only if you’re willing to work for it and be the change that you want to see…

I was and am still so inspired by this chat (you'll hear it in my voice no doubt!) and really hope you enjoy the natter.

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Girls That Scuba @girlsthatscuba

A Waste Free World @awastefreeworld

Xero @xero

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 takes to be an entrepreneur; as I’m sure you’ll soon hear, I resonated with so many elements of Dior’s story and am hoping you’ll find her advice as useful as I did…

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

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The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Pepper Your Talk @pepperyourtalk

The Junior Network @thejuniornetwork

Xero @xero

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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 intrigued to find out why she decided to enter such a saturated market when the idea for Roundwood popped into her head in 2016 (and the reality of what launching and running a gin brand looks like behind the scenes…)

From why her and her fiancé now have a ‘no gin in the bedroom’ rule and what Co-Founding a business together has meant for their relationship; how she went about financing the business given that launching a gin distillery is no mean feat to how she’s handled all the niggling challenges that come with product-based businesses including the initially overwhelming minimum order requirements, lead times and a missing delivery story that is up there with one of the most stressful stories that I’ve heard to date; I already loved Roundwood Gin before this interview but I know full well that I’m going to appreciate any Roundwood G&T going forward because of how much work Emily has put in behind the scenes to get her memorable brand off the ground...

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

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The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Roundwood Gin @roundwoodgin

Xero @xero

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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 called london.com/">Florence London. 

Having previously stepped away from the business for a few months whilst her old job demanded more of her time however, the business that Rosie bought out eighteen months ago was not the business she had stepped away from a few months prior. In her own words, she unknowingly bought debt and a name. 

From the lessons that particular experience taught her and how she went about repairing the company’s reputation and drastically improving the health of its balance sheet in the process; the lessons she drew from her experience working for a luxury boot brand in her early twenties and how she went about applying those lessons to Florence London; to the impact the business has had on her family and friends and why she’s now learnt to look after and make time for those around her; I’m so grateful that I got to sit down with Rosie and hear her story in full and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did…

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

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The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Florence London @florencelondonuk

Xero @xero

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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 time and her worth; plus the impact giving up alcohol has had on her life, self-worth and mindset towards the business too; I wasn’t expecting this chat to take the turn that it did but I have so much respect for the journey Kerrie-Anne has been through over the past few years and her vulnerability in this recording is a testament to what a brave woman she is.

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

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The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Pilates At Your Desk @pilatesatyourdesk

Xero @xero

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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 one of London’s biggest hotels after being introduced by a friend and with a week to prepare for said meeting and lots of late nights, Mr Highline was born. A week she goes on to describe as one of the best weeks of her life…

From her natural advice on sales and how to win over big clients; her admirable reasons for why she is so passionate about investing in a young team; to why she will never stop setting herself goals and has learnt to embrace the drama and suspense of working towards them; for someone that was once told she wouldn’t make a great business woman, Christalena has definitely proved them wrong…

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Mr Highline @mr_highline_

Xero @xero

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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 unlike anything you’ve ever known before; her practical advice on funding from her initial Virgin Start Up loan of £7000 to selling her flat; to how she uses PTSD from an attack in her early twenties as fire in her belly to fuel her ambition and success going forward; Selma is a woman worthy of every bit of success that comes her way in my opinion and I really hope that you take as much from her story as I did….

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Looks Like Me @lookslikemeuk

Xero @xero

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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 you I’m sure…

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

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The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Sonder & Tell @sonderandtell

Xero @xero

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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 juggling both her degree and multiple part-time jobs at the time, Molly unveils the reality of what she's had to juggle behind the scenes in order to get to where she is today. From battling her fear of public speaking head on in order to pitch for a £10,000 grant courtesy of Sussex Innovation Centre and the impact winning that grant had on her ability to scale the business; how she approached marketing in the early days to ensure that she had a tight-knit community pre-launch so that by the time Books That Matter went live, two-hundred boxes sold out in two days (!); to her ongoing battle with imposter syndrome, her mental health and her advice for managing the day-to-day ups and downs that are part and parcel of life as an entrepreneur; her experiences provided me, as I hope they do with you, with a whole lot of useful lessons to remember going forward.

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Books That Matter @booksthatmatteruk

Xero @xero

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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 how she's tackled the challenging evolution from designing a product to designing a company; the numerous funding methods her and her Co-Founders have pursued since the early days; her welcomed thoughts on the importance of finding time to grow as an individual, not just as a business owner; to her insights into the realities of running a business with Co-Founders, what down time and self care look like for her and how she manages her team creatively; the fact that Daniela has won numerous awards for innovation doesn't surprise me in the slightest. 

Not only is the concept behind Gravity Sketch nothing short of genius but she leads the way in what is very much still the male-dominated STEM industry and her approachable nature, intelligence and passion make her a female founder to watch. I hope you enjoy our chat!

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Gravity Sketch @gravitysketch

Xero @xero

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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 of a club in Ibiza with George and Amal Clooney; and Shirley’s empowering views on dating as a strong business woman are personal highlights from our conversation and their advice, as it did with me, will be welcomed by many of you, I'm sure. 

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

WickerWood @wickerwood

Xero @xero

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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 like banana" in case you were wondering...!) has grown completist.com/">The Completist into a well-established stationery brand within what is, in the grand scheme of things, a relatively short period of time. On a rainy Monday morning in London, the two of us sat down to chat about how she’s learnt to embrace her unique style to ensure that she stands out in an already saturated market and learnt to adapt to the ebbs and flows of self-employed life by shifting her focus during the quieter months. We also discuss how she went about seeking office space in London and prepared for the upgrade from flat to office from a financial perspective; to the more challenging reality of how she manages self-care, relationships and work/life boundaries when she is, in her own words, a self-confessed "workaholic"... If you haven't already heard of her brand, I highly recommend taking a peek. She's one very talented designer in my eyes who deserves every bit of success that comes her way.

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

The Completist @the.completist

Xero @xero

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Having first thought of the idea for Pip & Nut whilst training for a marathon at the age of 24, Pippa's come a long, long way since she initially started selling her market-leading nut butters from a market stall each weekend. Now a multi-million pound company that is now stocked in over 5000 stores UK wide, I was lucky enough to sit down with her at Pip & Nut HQ (yes, there is a giant tub of nut butter slap back in the middle of the office... what a legend) to discuss how her role as Founder has evolved throughout that process and how she's adapted to that change.

She opens up about how she dealt with the painful reality post-Brexit when she woke up on 26th June 2016 hundreds of thousands of pounds down and how she manages the days when the reality of owning a company tests your resilience beyond belief. Plus, of course, the various funding methods she has used since day one and her advice for anyone looking to raise; what down time and self-care looks like for her; her proudest moments along the way; plus a whole lot of other bits and bobs thrown in for good measure! 

She's been an inspiration of mine since day one of She can. She did. and my chat with her lived up to (my very high) expectations!

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Pip & Nut @pipandnut

Xero @xero

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From her experience managing the ever-growing success of the business and why she decided to scale back in recent months to rediscover and prioritise the joy in the job at hand; unveiling what she prioritised in the early days of About Time (she was just 22 when the brand launched!) to ensure that the magazine hit the ground running; her advice for handling the unavoidable challenges on the job with some stellar examples of said dodgy days thrown in for good measure; to how she’s learnt to deal with burn out and set boundaries between work and play; Angelica’s frankness throughout this chat is refreshing and her advice provides a really thought-provoking perspective for all… 

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

About Time @abouttimemag

Xero @xero

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Having struggled to secure investment the traditional way – turns out investors who are typically male and over sixty, couldn’t see the business potential for a sustainable period product that women would use once a month (shocking eh..!) – Celia, along with her Co-Founder Alec, launched a Kickstarter campaign to launch 'D' that went on to exceed its target by 500%, attracted backers from over 50 countries gaining worldwide media attention as a consequence, trending globally on Twitter in the aftermath too.

On a sunny afternoon in London late April, I sat down with Celia to discuss the journey she’s been on behind the glowing headlines so far. From the challenges they’ve faced trying to get women to change long-rooted habits when it comes to their monthly cycle; her advice for anyone looking to go into business with a Co-Founder; to how she balances running a business with motherhood given that she was heavily pregnant with her third child at the time of this recording; I sat in awe from start to finish of this recording!  With ambitious plans for DAME and its mission to make more bathroom products eco-friendly going forward too, we also discuss how she handles the pressures of playing big and why she genuinely believes that anyone could launch a business if she can…

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

DAME @dameforgood

Xero @xero

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Oh how I adore this lady! I've admired Gabi for ages now and fell a bit in love with her when she spoke at the first Bristol Midweek Mingle in October 2018 so knew from the minute I launched the She can. She did. podcast, that I wanted to natter to her in full on here!

To set the scene, in her final year of university, Gabi launched Chroma Stationery - the personalised stationery brand that now customises diaries and notebooks for stationery lovers in over 28 countries as well as for corporations including American Airlines, Boots and ITV. Naturally therefore, we spoke about her experience launching a business as a student; running a Kickstarter campaign as a twenty-two year old when crowdfunding campaigns were nowhere near as common as they are today; and her experience working with corporations given that she had zero experience working with large companies prior to launching her business. We also chat about her personalised approach to influencer marketing that led to the likes of Lily Pebbles and Zoella sharing her products; plus how she’s managed the transition from working on her own to growing and managing a team of six - again with zero management experience behind her!

Having lived with Chron's Disease all her life and spent the first four months of 2019 bed bound owing to the disease flaring up once again, Gabi also opens up about the realities of running a business when you suffer from a chronic condition that at present, has no cure.

Essentially, she’s a massive inspiration, we laughed our way through this recording and as always, I hope you enjoy listening to our chat…

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Chroma Stationery @chromastationery

Xero @xero

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Having launched Lauren Aston Designs  four years ago with a range of handmade chunky knits that are quite simply fabulous, Lauren's company has gone on to gain international attention, with the likes of Disney, Elizabeth Arden and the Beckham family amongst her fans!

From the early days of Lauren Aston Designs when it was just Lauren knitting at home on her own and how she grew the business to the extent that she now leads a team of eight, outgrew her home office and learnt quickly to prepare for the onslaught of Christmas orders throughout the year; how she's utilised Joanne Hawker's #marchmeetthemaker campaign each year and her refreshing view on paid ads and why she'll always prioritise knitting over paid campaigns; to the more challenging aspects of being your own boss that she's had to face behind the scenes, including the impact breaking her arm had on her mental health last year and her experience dealing with intellectual property law when a number of Chinese companies stole her designs in 2017; incredible designs aside for a sec, Lauren isn't afraid to embrace her inner weirdo and let her customers in and because of that, you can't help but warm to her and root for her to win...

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Lauren Aston Designs @laurenastondesigns

Xero @xero

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As a farmers daughter born and raised on a free-range chicken farm in Aberystwyth, Rachel was raised to appreciate the importance of knowing where a product comes from, the value of supporting your local community and staying true to your morals in business. Over a fancy platter of pastries in her beautiful home at the start of May (what a legend, I know), the two of us sat down to discuss the serendipitous encounter that led her to leave her job in theatre aged twenty-five and set up her dream company (formerly knows as the Rachel Burgess Bridal Boutique) despite being dyslexic, having no business degree or even a maths GCSE to her name. Of course, we also discuss the many trials and tribulations that she's overcome behind the scenes since then too...

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Rachel Burgess Bridal Boutique @rachel_burgess_bridal_boutique

Xero @xero

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Having first interviewed Rosie when I launched She can. She did. back in August 2017, the two of us caught up over a glass of wine last fortnight to chat about everything she’s been up to behind the scenes since then (launching a second company, expanding her team, moving offices twice, getting married etc… to name but a few!).

We discuss everything from the numerous internships and jobs she juggled when she first moved to London in order to gain experience and her disruptive approach to launching LFA without funding in 2013, that tipped the traditional PR agency model on its head. We also chat about how she has approached the recruitment process since day one to ensure that she attracts the right kind of people and what she’s learnt about managing a team of women en route; why having the difficult conversations in business is so important and why she refuses to let her dyslexia hold her back; to her ongoing struggle to switch off from work and be present in her personal life and why she doesn’t feel the need to share every single bit of press that she receives. Plus, she opens up about the realities of launching a second business!

Rosie is the ultimate definition of an entrepreneur in my eyes and I'm very grateful to say that she dished out a whole lot of advice… twice... I may or may not have forgotten to press record the first time round..!

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

LFA @lfa_agency

PR Dispatch @prdispatch

Xero @xero

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I first met Rebecca when she started coming along to The Midweek Mingles in London and after exchanging a few DMs thereafter, it didn't take me long to realise that I wanted to interview her on here!

Chatting about everything from how Rebecca launched Rebecca Tembo as a student  four years ago in spite of intense objection from her family at the time and the ways in which she juggles running a company with her now, 9-5 job; the depression that led her to drop out of fashion school and the impact investing in self-development has had, not just on her mental-health but her ongoing attitude to running her company today; to her unique approach to market research (which includes lots of fancy meals out in Kensington and Mayfair... the dream eh!) and why, as a black woman in the fashion industry, her motto is ‘be the change you want to see’; Rebecca’s ambition is not only infectious but limitless and at 22, she’s undoubtedly one to watch…

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Rebecca Tembo @rebeccatembo_

Xero @xero

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Gosh, this woman is a bit of a legend! In the 8th episode of the series, I sat down for a chat with the Manchester-born, London-based artist behind the self-titled art empire that is Sophie Tea that she has grown organically online to such an extent that her paintings now sell internationally for thousands of pounds in a matter of seconds... literally. 

We chat about everything from how she used her art as currency in the early days of her business and the series of value exchanges that enabled her to lay the foundations of the company; her experience working on a ‘Tinder for artists’ app after graduating with a first class degree in Business and the advice from a particular investor that encouraged her to take her own art seriously; and why she’s learnt in recent weeks just how important self-care is after being close to burning out, after weeks of back-to-back travel to and from her studios in Sydney, LA and London. She also reveals what she’s learnt from best friend and fellow business owner Jenna Meek, Founder of The Gypsy Shrine and why, despite her designs selling for thousands online in literally seconds nowadays, she will always have a ‘poor mans’ attitude when it comes to any profit that her business makes.

With a quick break for coffee mid-way through the recording (my kind of girl!), I absolutely loved this chat and am very much hoping that you can soon hear why...

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Sophie Tea Art @sophieteaart

Xero @xero

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Discussing  everything from the early days of Inkpact when Charlotte first thought of the concept and how she went about scaling the idea later down the line; why the photo of her that was used in the Forbes '30 under 30' list at the time concealed the stress and anxiety that she was facing behind the scenes in reality; the thought process that went into her decision to seek a Co-Founder and how they’ve learnt to adjust to the shared leadership dynamic along the way; to why she’s so passionate about emotional intelligence and how she applies its principles to the way in which she runs her company today; what Charlotte has achieved with Inkpact in the space of three and a half years proves what's possible when you persevere and thankfully for us, she was happy to share so many of the lessons she's learnt along the way…

She can. She did. is hosted by me, Fiona Grayson (hello!) and is sponsored by xero.com

For a free one-month trial on Xero followed by 50% off for the next six months, please feel free to use the code, 'SCSD50' going forward!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Inkpact @inkpact

Xero @xero

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.