I Shouldn't Say This, But...

This week is all about you. You sent in your burning business questions, some quick fire and some with the full backstory, and Isi is back in the hot seat to put them to me.From building a talk that actually lands to planning your next quarter, scaling without losing your culture and finding clients who aren’t where you’re posting, these are the questions founders and leaders keep asking. And I’m answering them as honestly, using what’s worked for me (and what hasn’t).In this episode, I answer:- How do you build a talk using storytelling, whether it’s for a stage or a team meeting?- How do you plan for Q4 when you’re starting to treat yourself as a business?- What should you review now so you’re not just starting fresh in January?- How do you scale a company and keep your values, especially across multiple locations?- Why you need to understand why actually want to grow?- How do you build a B2B sales pipeline when your ideal clients aren’t on the platforms your posting?- If you’re starting a personal brand from nothing, where should you focus?If you’ve got a question you’d love my take on, drop me a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and we’ll answer it in a future episode.🎙️ Recorded at the beautiful Mollies Manchester. Proudly sponsored by We Are The Allies. The Allies connect you the UK's best network of creative freelancers, whether you're looking to launch a new product or need to get through a content backlog: https://newbusiness.wearetheallies.com/katyleeson/

Most founders think PR means getting a bit of press. It doesn’t. Good PR finds you investors, speaking opportunities and the right people knowing your name, but only once your foundations are in place.This week I’m joined by Jennifer and Ashley, co-founders of Moda PR. Jen quit her in-house PR job in 2020 to go freelance, with no plan beyond being her own boss. Ashley had been made redundant and was miserable in the job she’d rushed into. A mutual friend set them up on a mate date, Ashley started coming into Jen’s office every day, and before long she was a 50/50 co-founder. Six years on, they’ve built one of the few agencies doing founder PR properly.In this episode, we get into:- Niching down to personal PR when everyone said it would stunt their growth- The Emma Grede “celebrity CEO” debate, and why you’ve got to pay your dues first- When PR isn’t right just yet, and why they’ll turn work away- The PR foundations to get right first- Why one great piece of PR beats three 'clippings for your nan's fridge'- What’s next for founder PRIf you’ve ever wondered whether you’re ready for PR, or what good PR actually looks like, this one’s for you.🎙️ Recorded at Mollies, Manchester🤝 A huge thank you to our sponsor, We Are The Allies. If you’ve got a bank of ideas you can’t execute, or you need a creative specialist for your next brief, The Allies is your place for the best freelancers in the UK. Find out more at https://newbusiness.wearetheallies.com/katyleeson/Find Katy on her socials @katyleesonFollow Moda PR: @modapr__ | moda-pr.com

Emma Grede said personal branding is holding women back, and the internet went wild! I wholeheartedly agree with her, even as someone who's spent the last 10 years building a personal brand.In this solo episode, I’m getting into the Instagram vs reality of personal branding, and why I think we’ve confused having an online presence with having a personal brand.I’m sharing:- How Steven Bartlett made “build a personal brand” one of my KPIs when I became MD of Social Chain (when I’d spent years begging not to be on camera).- Why a personal brand can't just be something that lives online. - The rise of fake personal brands and why it's really niggling me right now- Why the people selling personal brand strategies missed Emma’s point- Where is personal branding heading nextIf you’re aspiring to build a personal brand that actually means something, this one’s for you.🎙️ Recorded at Mollies, Manchester🙏 Sponsored by We Are The Allies.We Are The Allies connects you to the UK's best freelance talent whether you need a complete specialist or an extra pair of hands - https://newbusiness.wearetheallies.com/katyleeson/

Consider this a proper catch-up from the sofa at Mollies, and this time I’ve brought someone new to meet you all. Introducing Isi who is now running my social media! She follows me round with a camera, keeps me grounded and won’t let me eat a croissant until she’s got the shot (obviously!)When this episode launches, we'll be two days out from my first TEDx Talk rehearsal and right now it’s not going in yet. I’m sharing why this one feels so vulnerable, plus a first look at what it’s about. We also catch up on a busy few weeks and look ahead to something I still can’t believe... we’re going to South Africa!In this episode, we get into:💡 A first look at my TED Talk: How to Turn Anxiety Into Action in Two Minutes 🤝 Two talks in one day in London, and the “secret sauce” behind Social Chain’s growth 📱 Debating the under-16 social media ban with Tulisa at Leeds International Festival of Ideas 🌍 Speaking at Auto Trader’s 500-person conference in Johannesburg 😅 The guilt of downtime when you work for yourself ✍️ My relaunched Substack🎙️ Recorded at the beautiful Mollies Manchester. Proudly sponsored by We Are The Allies.We Are The Allies plugs you into the UK's best network of freelance talent whether you're launching a new campaign or need to get through a backlog of content: https://newbusiness.wearetheallies.com/katyleeson/

This week is Baby Loss Awareness Week, so I'm re-sharing a conversation that means a lot to me.Seven years ago, shortly after my own miscarriage, I sat down with Ruth Bender Atik. She was National Director of what was then the Miscarriage Association (now Miscarriage UK) and has since retired.We talk honestly about how common miscarriage really is, why it's still such a taboo, and what nobody tells you about the experience. That includes the guilt, the decisions you're asked to make in hospital while you're in shock, and the fear of trying again.In this episode: Why around one in four pregnancies is thought to end in miscarriage The "12-week rule", and why it isn't a rule at all Why any sentence starting with "at least" is best left unsaid Pregnancy after loss, and why the anxiety is completely normal If you've been through baby loss, or love someone who has, this one's for you.Please note: this episode was recorded seven years ago, so some of the information, services and guidance discussed may have changed since. For the most up-to-date information, advice and support, please contact Miscarriage UK:🌐 https://www.miscarriageuk.org/ 📞 0303 003 6464 💬 Live chat is available through their website🎙️ Recorded at Mollies, Manchester🙏 Sponsored by We Are The Allies

A TED talk was on my vision board for this year. So when I was asked to speak at TEDx Trafford this November, I was thrilled, but when I started the process I was surprised by just what it takes to get on that stage.So for this week's episode, I'm joined by TEDx Trafford Curator Martina Witter to throw back the curtain on what really goes on behind the scenes.Martina had her first TEDx licence application rejected outright, but rather than treating that as a final no, she used it as information to try again and successfully put on the very first TEDx Trafford last year.In this episode we discuss:🎤 The difference between TED and TEDx, and how a curator's values shape the whole event 💡 Why TEDx isn't looking for speakers, it's looking for one idea worth spreading (not ten, as I found out the hard way) 📋 The TEDx framework: 8–18 minutes, grounded in science, no politics, religion or plugging your business, and a powerful hook within the first 60 seconds 🧠 Why coaching starts months in advance, and how Martina builds psychological safety into it 🎭 The art of TEDx curation, and why the running order is planned around the audience's emotions 👀 What the coaching has changed about how I speak on stage, and a little teaser of my own idea worth spreading (watch this space…)If you've ever thought "I'd love to do a TED talk one day," well this episode is giving you a sneak peak into the process.TEDx Trafford takes place on 21st November. Grab your tickets at tedxtrafford.com or on Eventbrite. I'd love to see you there.🎙️ Recorded at the beautiful Mollies Manchester. Proudly sponsored by We Are The Allies. Looking for creative firepower, a new skillset or need to get through a backlog of content? The Allies can help!

18 episodes into series 6, and I don't know where the time's gone! This week, to celebrate, I've pulled together my favourite moments from my guests this series. If you'd like to watch any of the episodes in full, scroll down for the links.In this episode:- Kelly Tucker on why your team are "subscribing" to your workplace- Sarah Louise Keane on why we keep playing down our own numbers- Jade Reilly on creatine: what it is and who should take it- Pav Riyat-Ward on what freelancers need to get booked- Ash Jones on personal branding when there are no gatekeepers- Sacha Lord on why he spoke out after a tragedy at Warehouse Project- Heather Elkington on nice vs kind, and why saying the hard thing matters- Liberty Mills on the fertility conversation nobody's having with menOnce again, thank you to my sponsor, We Are The Allies 🤝Launching a new product, working on new creative or tackling a content backlog? We Are The Allies has the biggest and best bank of UK freelancers around. Find out more: https://newbusiness.wearetheallies.com/katyleeson/Catch up on the full episodes 🎧Kelly Tucker → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSXlrwk4H-kSarah Louise Keane → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9exBcd6MZYJade Reilly → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9UHWIgRqykPav Riyat-Ward → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMrs-bFaADkAsh Jones → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNCzgrs8OEQSacha Lord → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-Mh7nSdiigHeather Elkington → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1_qmqkZMOALiberty Mills → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvLRLU2KFo4🎙️ Recorded at the beautiful, Mollies Manchester.

When I went on BBC Radio 4's The Bottom Line, someone said that people fear public speaking more than they fear death.It's stuck with me ever since. Because if that's true, most of us are walking into every pitch, presentation and team meeting carrying a fear we've never actually been taught how to handle. So this episode is all about changing that.I'm letting you in on how I, a self-confessed introvert who refused to be in the Social Chain daily vlogs, ended up speaking every single week.In this episode, we get into:- My speaker journey, from winning new business at Social Chain to being signed by Champions Speaker Agency- The coffee with an audience member that gave me my "why"- The best advice I've been given to plan my talks: have data, because you can't argue with data- How to plan the "landing points" in a talk- Why I only talk on topics I have lived experience on- My method for cutting a full script down to the points you have to nail, and how this can practically help you- What's in my boost folder right now, and what I'm manifesting into it for 2027🎙️ Recorded at the beautiful Mollies Manchester. Proudly sponsored by We Are The Allies, the creative network that makes this podcast possible. Find out more about what they do here: https://newbusiness.wearetheallies.com/katyleeson/

I’m back for another catch-up with my producer Stefan - the second one now, so if you liked the last unfiltered chat, this is more of that.We're covering off everything that’s been going on in my life since the last one:  The ‘old man in a grey suit’ MD image that’s followed me since my first imposter syndrome session  Flying BA to speak at BA and making someone overcome with an emotion (which was a win, not a fail - trust me!) The shift that’s changed how I run my business thinking not about income I need but as an actual business with a P&L What "quiet" really means for someone who doesn't switch off, Communication across generations, what I learned at Social Chain and how I teach organisations this now Plus, an update on my TEDx announcement - from my vision board in January to now being less than two months away from actually doing it If you've ever wondered what actually goes on behind the scenes of building a business and a podcast at the same time, this one's for you.🎙️ Recorded at the beautiful Mollie's, Manchester. Proudly sponsored by We Are The Allies.Need creative firepower without the agency overhead? We Are The Allies connect brands with the UK's best freelance talent, fast. No endless briefs, no mismatches, just the right person for the job. Get in touch here.*This episode was recorded at the start of August. We've re-ordered the episodes to  publish our Guest episodes first.

At 43, Liberty Mills was told one of your ovaries is empty and you are barren. She could have accepted it. She didn't, having already reversed her lupus diagnosis and gave birth naturally two weeks before turning 25.I sit down with Liberty, a Fertility and Autoimmune Coach, to unpack how she did it and the philosophy she teaches clients: test, don't guess. Before any supplement or protocol, find out what your body is actually doing.We also get into a stat almost nobody talks about: 48% of infertility cases involve a male contributing factor. Plus how stress shows up in the body before you notice it, and Liberty's "golden hour" routine, journaling, movement, and learning something unrelated to your goals, in that order.In this episode: The diagnosis at 43, and the path to a natural conception at 44 Why "test, don't guess" comes before any supplement or pill The overlooked male fertility factor behind that 48% What stress actually does in the body, and the early signs most people miss Liberty's golden hour, step by step The best advice Liberty's ever received, and how she uses it If you've ever been handed scary language about your body and told to just accept it, this one's for you.🎙️ Recorded at Mollies, Manchester 🙏 Sponsored by We Are The Allies