The Small & Supercharged Podcast

It can feel really strange telling the world about the product or service that you offer, can't it? But the harsh truth is that if you don't promote what you do or sell, then no one will know it exists. Even at the moment, when it's no secret that times are hard, it's STILL important to tell people what you do. Why? Because if you don't tell them, they won't know, and then when that person needs that thing, they won't even think of you. Business is tough right now, but without self promotion, you're in a downward spiral that doesn't lead anywhere good. In this episode, I share ways to make it feel less yucky and weird, how to reframe the situation, and why it really matters that you do this....

Ever heard of 'Stacey Solomon Day'? No, it's not an awareness day you've missed from your social media planner, it's a day- so called by Stamptastic- because it's the day that Stacey shared their product and everything changed, Stamptastic is a brilliant small business, designed to make anyone who has to label clothing's life a whole lot easier. But what you might not know is that Stacey Solomon blew up this brand a few years ago, and created something that is forever known by the Stamptastic team as 'Stacey Solomon Day'. In just 24 hours, Stamptastic made over £125k of sales from that one social share. Since this time, the brand has continued to develop. I'd heard about Stamptastic and Fran a while ago and followed the business, and then at this year's Small Business Sunday event, Fran spoke to Stacey (who was the fireside chat guest) and I was absolutely blown away. I knew I had to get her on the podcast... and luckily she accepted. It's a good one.

Doubter, naysayers, those who just don't 'get' you... know who I mean? Why on earth are you listening to them!? This podcast is all about those who say you can't... and more importantly, why it's REALLY important to not take this 'feedback' on board. It's inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger's book 'Be Useful- Seven Tools For Life' that I would absolutely recommend. The amount of times this man was laughed at, mocked and was told what he wanted wasn't possible is mind blowing. And let's be honest, he's not done too badly, has he?! We seem to take other people's uneducated opinions more seriously than our own. We don't accept that some people don't see things as we do, have our knowledge, our worldview, our drive or determination, and yet we let their doubt kill our dreams. Why this this? And that is what today's podcast is all about. How to smile and nod, think about who you share your goals with, and remember why you're in the best position to decide how your life is going to pan out...

I heard Sanjay Aggarwal, co founder of Spice Kitchen, speak at Theo Paphitis' SBS Event in 2024. He was part of a panel and talked about how his business started as a project to keep his mum, co founder Shashi, busy in her retirement. Little did they know what that Christmas Day idea would grow into... and how it continues to grow today. After being inspired by Sanjay's story and his take on business too, I reached out to see if he'd come and share his wisdom on the podcast, and to my delight he accepted. We talk about the start of the business, when he knew that it was going to be a success, the highs, lows, learning curve, saying no to supermarkets and a whole lot more. It's a masterclass that I think you're going to love.

Trends can be a great way to increase reach and engagement on the social media content we post, but are all trends good trends? That's what today's podcast is all about. In the world we live in, jumping on trends is seen as a fast track to viral content. Not only is this not exactly true, but jumping on the wrong trends that conflict with your brand values can be hugely damaging. That's why it's important to assess each trend- not just in terms of reach, but in terms of deeper brand values, alignment, and whether or not it's going to actively support your ethos and efforts, or work against them. Find out how on today's episode...

Lucy Claire Dunbar has an incredible brand, very exciting plans for the future, and a huge presence online and beyond. Social media was the catalyst that took her drawings from sketches for herself to the world, and what a brand she's built. Lucy has drawn illustrations capturing so many poignant moments, from the pandemic to Vernon Kay's marathons, Mrs Hinch's support of her son Ronnie to how sad everyone felt when Matthew Perry passed away. She has a real skill for seeing what's going on in the world and being able to capture this is a way that speaks to so many people. But Lucy didn't fall into this. Her journey to get here today was long and went via some very serious health issues, limiting beliefs (thanks to some of her teachers!), lack of confidence, and way more besides. Lucy's story is very inspiring. She shares all about how she came to be where she is now, drawing celebs, growing on social media, and why people really should just go for it.

Have you see the rebranding of Tate and Lyle? It's transformed its logo from a dead lion being circled by a number of bees to something a lot more modern... but you might be surprised to know which part of the process caused a stir. Was it the old logo depicting a dead lion? (I didn't notice either!) Or that people thought the logo change was a win for the 'woke' brigade?! I read similar headlines more than once and was more than a little dumbfounded. Today, I chat about why people rebrand, why rebrands are hard, and how- just maybe- we need to cut brands a little bit of slack? Enjoy!

Susan Bonnar is one heck of a lady! She started her career in the Royal Navy as an air traffic controller, but after twenty plus years, she left as her husband was also serving and she needed to be at home for her family. During her time in the Navy, she'd started making cards and wanted to do more of this when she left but realised that without a network, it was incredibly hard to reach an audience and sell. This led to the formation of a collaborative group, which developed over time to become the British Craft House... but it wasn't a linear journey. In fact, it was listening to Sir Tom Hunter at Theo Paphitis' SBS event a few years ago that kicked everything up a level, as Susan discusses on today's episode. And it's gone full circle... at Theo's event last week, Susan was a speaker on the main stage. And she was hugely inspiring and simply incredible. What a lady... you're going to love this one...

Did you know that Facebook was 20 in February? How old does that make you feel?! Well, in light of this pretty momentous birthday, I took the time to reflect on how social media has changed our lives over the last 20 years. What we've learnt, what we are now able to access, what it's meant for business, the dangers, the future, and so much more besides. And yes, Facebook being 20 makes me feel really old. But I did spend the first few years dodging friend request from people I tried to avoid in real life at school, so I wasn't the first one on there, but I have been there much longer than I'd like to admit. What about you? How do you think Facebook and social media in general has changed the way we live? The way we do business? For good and bad? I'd love to know...

Stacey MacNeill was a school teacher, as was Jamie, her husband when they came to the realisation that they were on a very destructive path that didn't lead to anywhere good. They needed drastic action, so they sold up and moved into a camper van and got job in North Wales managing a campsite... before the pandemic... which stopped everything. During this time, one of a Stacey's friends was struggling and she just couldn't find a card that said what she wanted to. So she drew a picture, added words, and shared it on social media. And it kind of went from there! Since this time, Stacey has won Theo Paphitis's #SBS (which is how we met!), grown her range, works with her husband in the business, won Gift of the Year and SO much more. Prepare to be inspired in more ways that you might expect, as Stacey shares her journey from mental health struggles and very challenging times to where she is now, providing the right words for every occasion and supporting people on their own path.

When did you last go to a face-to-face event? Do you see the value in them anymore? What a difference a few years can make. Pre 2020, face-to-face was THE way to do events and network, but covid changed that and gave many people a very steep learning curve on all things Zoom/Teams and more. Over the last couple of years, in person events have started to grow again- but do they have the value they did before we realised what we can do from home? In this episode, I chat about the value of face-to-face and the unexpected extras that come with being in the same space as the people like you.

Poppy Webber isn't just an educator, a YouTuber, a business owner, an award winner, an author and a saddle fitter(!), she was a teenage mum without any qualifications to her name, but through determination, grit and help from the Prince's Trust, transformed her life. Poppy takes us back what it was like being a teenage mum with next to nothing, getting a degree and Masters in psychology and how this lead her to saddle fitting, a shower company, becoming a YouTuber and so much more besides. This lady is an utter legend. I'm lucky to call her a friend and a client and it's an utter joy being able to share her story with you. Such an inspiring, humble and talented individual. You'll be blown away.

If you have the start of an idea, a desire to get into a different space, or just a notion to explore something else, this podcast is for you. Often, we look at how to grow and scale an existing business, but what happens if you're at the very very start? Or if you're looking to start a separate sub brand or explore a different market and you don't know where to even begin? It can feel utterly paralysing and overwhelming. On this episode, we start at the spark of an idea and begin to develop this into next steps to help you make progress in the right direction, to build momentum and knowledge to allow you to take positive steps...

Have you ever really wanted something- to speak to someone, ask a question, or something else... and you were just afraid to ask? This podcast is all about why you need to feel the fear and do it anyway, and the great things that can happen if you just ask! It sounds crazy- and whether it's fear of failure, fear of rejection, or something else, so many people don't ask for what they really want or need. In today's podcast, I discuss why it's important to ask, how to increase your chances of success, and how to embrace the possibility of a no and push on all the same! I hope you find this useful... and I really hope it makes you ask for more...

Have you ever questioned why you're insured? For lots of us, we see an amount go out of our bank account every month or year, and we don't see any return or get any enjoyment from that cost. Which might lead you to question 'is insurance worth it?'. That's what I chatted to Lawrence Gill from KBIS about on today's podcast. Of course, Lawrence does have some skin in the game as he's Executive Director of KBIS, but we talked about premiums, risk, reducing cost, and making sure your money is covering you for all the right things. This isn't a sales podcast- far from it- but when everyone is looking at their expenses and seeing how to reduce them, I was keen to share more about insurance. It's one of those things we hope never to use- some of us never do- but can still be very costly. Equally, if we do have cause to use it, it can be worth its weight in gold. This podcast will lift the lid on how it all works, and it might even save you some money, help increase your understanding, and help you ensure you're insured for what you need!

...in my opinion, anyway! In the first Small & Supercharged podcast episode of 2024, I talk about why I don't like New Year's Resolutions, why I think they're the fastest way to feel miserable in January, and what you can do instead to help you achieve what you want for the year ahead. I'm talking goals, reverse engineering, creating a blueprint, the anatomy of a good goal, where resolutions come from and so much more! Tune in, listen, and let me know what you think! Are you #teamresolution or #teamgoal?

All good things must come to an end, and it's already time for our final Podmas of 2023. On this episode we're catching up with Claire Williams (British Equestrian Trade Association), Lucy Millar (Run Dog Food), and Amanda Marshall (3 Donkeys Clothing). Not only do we hear about their businesses and how they can help you with your Christmas gifting dilemmas, they also share their Christmas thoughts, who received human scales under the tree? Who wants a puppy? Who would love to see Dolly Parton at Christmas?! It's all in this episode and more! Each year, I hand over to members of my membership group, Small & Supercharged Mastermind, on the run up to Christmas... enjoy the final Podmas episode of 2023!

Podmas is back for episode three and on this episode we're catching up with Ruth Chappell (Dressage Anywhere), Louise Towl (Ready to Ride Physio), and Julia McHugh (Your Horse Is Your Mirror). Not only do we hear about their businesses and how they can help you with your Christmas gifting dilemmas, they also share their Christmas thoughts, who's not a fan of turkey? For who does Grand Marnier signal Christmas? Who would love to go and hang out with Russell Howard?! It's all in this episode and more! Each year, I hand over to members of my membership group, Small & Supercharged Mastermind, on the run up to Christmas... enjoy episode 3!

Podmas is back for episode two and on this episode we're catching up with Cathy Wright (Cathy's Chocolates and Cakes), Emily Cole (Emily Cole Illustrations), and Becky Kew (Q Dressage) Not only do we hear about their businesses and how they can help you with your Christmas gifting dilemmas, they also share their Christmas thoughts, who HATES Christmas music, if sprouts are the work of the devil or an unsung star, and what our lovely ladies would like to find under the tree! There's lots more too! Each year, I hand over to members of my membership group, Small & Supercharged Mastermind, on the run up to Christmas... enjoy episode 2!

Podmas has started (yay!) and on this episode we're catching up with Jane Badger (Jane Badger Books), Liz Daniels (EquiTeam) and Tracey Cole (Tracey Cole NLP). Not only do we hear about their businesses and how they can help you with your Christmas gifting dilemmas, they also share their Christmas thoughts, whether Scrooge was misunderstood, if gravy or bread sauce 'wins' for them, and if any Christmas products received have ever been regifted! There's lots more too! Each year, I hand over to members of my membership group, Small & Supercharged Mastermind, on the run up to Christmas... and it starts today!