Beyond the Brief: The Story of Stripe & Stare with Katie Lopes

What can you give? Often, when we approach things like collaborations and agreements, our first thought it about what we want and what we can take from a situation to help us achieve our goal... but can you imagine if we thought about what we could give instead? How would that change the game for you? This week, I've been working on some collaborative opportunities and I always look at the value I can give to the person or brand who's helping me to achieve my objective. Yes, I know what I want to achieve and what will help me do that, but I quickly look at ways to make every situation a win for everyone. Why? Because why the heck not! Relationships that are worth anything aren't built on one person taking and the other being exploited. That just leads to short lived connections, resentment, and outcomes that serve one party - perhaps- on a short term basis. And I for one am not interested in that. So, what would happen if you looked at what you could give rather than what you could take? Here are my thoughts on why it matters and how it can change a lot more than you might think.

Rachel Watkyn is an incredible lady. She discovered the need for The Tiny Box company when trying to start another business, ended up on Dragons' Den (and got investment!) by accident, supports women in business... and all this from less than ideal beginnings that included hospitalisation and being put into care at a very young age. Despite this, Rachel has not only created an incredible company that supports small businesses with their packaging, she also shares her knowledge through her own website, has plans for micro loans to Third World countries, and has an exciting business on the horizon. We discuss so much in this episode, from confidence to investing in women, drugs, software, being the change, going after what you really want, the life changing impact of Sierra Leone and so much more. It's a superb listen.   

Everyone does Black Friday, right? Well no, no they don't, and this podcast shares why you shouldn't if it doesn't work for you. Business is about profit, and whilst many businesses see orders increase when they slash their prices, if it isn't making profit, then why on earth are you doing it?! When Black Friday rolls around, a number of businesses, particularly smaller ones, feel that to be in with a chance of making sales, they need to slash prices. I'm here to say that that might not be the case at all. And whilst, when Black Friday first appeared in the UK, it felt crazy as a business not to get involved, now, more and more brands are pushing again it. On this episode, we chat about why you might want to push back, how to get that messaging across, how to know if it works, and when to get on board too.

Lucy Gray, aka Doodling Lucy, was told that you couldn't make a business from art. This was by a teacher... what a shortsighted statement that was.... Initially, she listened to this limiting and, quite frankly, inaccurate statement, taking action on it and taking a course in psychology at university. But, luckily, the opportunity presented itself for Lucy to embrace her talents again and create Doodling Lucy which is a brand that has become a real hit with so many people. Today, we chat all about the growth of the business, covid, Australia, finding a way to make it work, and so much more besides. I LOVED chatting to Lucy on this podcast. Her perspective on her business, being self employed, embracing adventure and serving her community was so interesting and I'm so grateful that she shared her thoughts on this episode.

One Minute Briefs isn't just a fun outlet that has created a community of well over 100k, but it's actually a brilliant way to think about so much, as Nick Entwistle, creator of One Minute Briefs, explains. I've followed Nick and One Minute Briefs for a long time and have been wowed by the creative concepts created by his community in just one minute. When nothing is a 'stupid idea', and speed means you can't procrastinate, over analyse or talk yourself out a something, what could happen? Great things... let me tell you! On today's podcast, Nick shares the story of One Minute Briefs and some awesome campaigns that have been created, but also the value of community, the responsibility of supporting such a big community, and what it's like managing such a high profile feed. 

Let me take you back to when you started this journey. You may have had a big goal and you then chipped away at it to get there. But what happened then? Did you continue to say 'yes' to things that got you to your goal, even if it meant you weren't really heading in the right direction for your next goal? Today, it's a deep one... Lately, I've been giving this subject a lot of thought. I've been thinking about 'the fear' that grabs you when you want to say no to an opportunity, but it's something you would have previously given a limb for. The worry of jinxing yourself by being 'picky'. The drag back to 'old you' when your new goals don't really align. Being brave. Trusting the process. And checking in with yourself to see if you're heading in the right direction, and course correcting if you aren't. As my next book is out soon, and lots of things have changed for me over the last year, it's something that I've been working on and untangling. Having the self awareness to realise you're not going in the right direction is a skill in itself, knowing what to do with this information is something else, and then acting on it- that's the scary bit. But if we don't, we risk feeling really unfulfilled. And with life being so flipping short, why would we risk that? Tune in... let me know what you think.  

A little while ago, I stumbled across Hunter & Gather, a brand that taps into ancestral knowledge of nutrition and health, combines this with a modern lifestyle, and then creates products that are unapologetically not the cheapest available... but the strong educational aspect of the brand explains why. I loved so much about the brand, so I reached out to co-founder Amy Moring to see if she'd come on the podcast and chat all things Hunter & Gather, and she said yes! We know that ultra processed foods aren't great for us, but Amy and her co-founder Jeff took that another step further to find out why... and what could be done to balance busy lifestyles with the need for quality foods. They set about educating themselves, then sharing this knowledge with others, and then started creating a brand around it. It wasn't an easy journey. They needed to change public opinion through education, and also needed to create understanding around quality and price. They're not the cheapest- and nor do they pretend to be, but why do businesses often opt to compete on this aspect, when there's a large number of people who will pay for quality if the understanding is there?  Hunter & Gather was build around a mission and a vision, to provide quality and convenience, but it's taken a long time, to build their tribe, to get onto supermarket shelves... and Amy explains the journey on this episodes. It's a brilliant one.

Tech can be overwhelming - but by burying your head in the sand, you're doing yourself, your business and your life a disservice. In fact, you're probably making all of the above a LOT harder. That's why you need to listen to this week's episode - it could change your world! Podcast guest, Beverly Clarke MBE, wasn't born into tech, quite the opposite, but has evolved and adapted over the years to become a trailblazer, educator, coach and consultant around all things technology. So passionate is she about the subject that she's also the founder of the charity 'Technology Books for Children', and is a trustee and ambassador for the Digital Poverty Alliance.  This year, Beverly's contribution to the world of tech was honoured with an MBE - which she talks about on this episode too.

Feeling a bit down or uninspired? I promise you, by the end of this podcast with Charlie Hindley, you won't! I met Charlie when he was wearing a cloak on a street in Edinburgh, ready to guide a group of people around a graveyard. Yes, it's the truth, but only part of it. Charlie (I spoke about Charlie a few episodes ago) guided the Potter Trail when I was on holiday in Edinburgh. Now, I love Harry Potter, but there was something about the 90mins spent in Charlie's presence that stuck with me. His passion. His zest for what he does. His kindness. It really was a kind of magic. On this episode, we talk about Charlie's journey from chorister to actor via a lot of amazing destinations. We talk about passion, purpose, bringing your all to every situation, and why it's so important to do what you love - for everyone's sake.

Lucy Hall is a complete powerhouse. Not only is she the lady behind Digital Women (and its goal of empowering 1 million women through digital skills and education), but she's also the founder of social media event Social Day, the Digital Women Awards, has run her own agency, and does a lot more too. Lucy's passion for digital started from a young age when her love of eBay and selling on there led her to coding, social media, and so much more. Now, Lucy trains and supports women through Digital Women in addition to her events. On this episode, we talk about growing a business, AI, the power of community, making skill sharing pay, her love of sales, obsession with spreadsheets, building a membership, running events - you name it, we cover it!