The Festoon 500 interviews

Did your business turn out the way you expected it to? In this episode of The Festoon 500 Interviews, Dani sits down with Louise Scanlon, a Virtual COO who helps visionary founders build the operations behind their success, so the business can run without them being the bottleneck. Louise has spent years in business transformation, product management and operations, teaching Lean Six Sigma to rooms full of eye-rolling teams who soon found out that the things holding their business back are fixable. She’s had founders in tears on the phone, telling her for the first time that running their business doesn’t feel how they thought it would.Together they get into why it’s so easy for founders to say yes to new ideas and so hard to say “not yet”, why the effort reward ratio is off for so many business owners, and why struggling usually means a process is broken rather than that you’re bad at your job. Louise also gives a first look at the decision-making tool she’s building, which weighs up the cost, people, time and goals behind every idea and gives you a verdict. Then she and Dani talk about what growth really means: more time, less stress and a life you actually enjoy, not just more money.If you’re a founder who feels like the business has run away with you, this one’s for you.Louise ScanlonSMEs Simplified Skool community: https://www.skool.com/smes-simplified-1232Founder Expectation Index: https://thefounderexpectationindex.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisescanlon/Festoon 500 listeners get a locked-in-for-life membership rate on the SMEs Simplified community.Join the Festoon 500, The Big Festoon’s community of founders supporting founders: https://highlevel.thebigfestoon.com/festoon500CHAPTERS0:00 Trailer0:30 Welcome to The Festoon 500 Interviews2:15 Meet Louise Scanlon: What a Virtual COO Actually Does5:46 Why Business Operations Matter More Than You Think11:36 Why Founders Struggle to Say No to New Ideas14:10 Founder Burnout and the Effort Reward Ratio15:43 A Decision-Making Tool Built for Founders20:07 Lining Your Whole Business Up Around the Customer23:17 What’s Next: The Pilot, the Waitlist and the Community25:31 Growth Isn’t Just Money: Building the Life You Want30:12 How to Join Louise’s Community31:35 Join the Festoon 500

Is your business set up to be trusted online? Dani Wallace talks to Sooz Young, founder of Technology Coaching, about the digital foundations every small business needs: building digital trust, auditing your tech stack, staying compliant when most advice comes from the US, and getting ready for an AI-shaped future. Sooz shares 22 years of tech training experience, from Apple to a global law firm, plus the simple exercise that saved her team hundreds of pounds.Take Sooz's free Digital Health Check: https://technologycoachingonline.com/digital-health-check/Join the Festoon 500: https://highlevel.thebigfestoon.com/festoon5000:00 Trailer0:42 Welcome to The Festoon 500 Interviews2:27 Meet Sooz Young: From Apple Trainer to Digital Skills Coach6:02 Why Founders Need Structure Sooner Than Ever10:42 "I'm Not Techie" Is a Mindset, Not a Skills Issue12:02 AI, Vibe Coding and the Fear of Being Left Behind13:55 Digital Trust: Why Customers Check You Before They Buy19:10 Where to Start: Audit Your Small Business Tech Stack24:39 The Unsexy Work That Decides Which Businesses Survive26:34 Female Founders, Diversity and the AI Bubble29:51 62% of the Internet Is Bots: Why Real Voices Win33:36 How to Work With Sooz and Technology Coaching

Your business is making money, so why is there never any left for you? In this episode of The Festoon 500 Interviews, Dani Wallace sits down with Jason Withers, Profit First Professional, to talk about why profit on paper doesn't mean cash in the bank, and why so many founders pay everyone except themselves.🔗 Connect with JasonWebsite: https://profitfirstpro.co.ukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/profitfirstpro/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasonwithers.profitfirstproLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonawithers/🎁 Free gift: Jason is giving away 25 free digital copies each of Profit First and The Money Habit. Follow @ProfitFirstPro on Instagram and DM "PF" or "MH" to get your link.Jason has spent 30 years working on money in business, always on the client side, and he's on a mission to take the fear and judgement out of founders' conversations about money. He explains the Profit First method by Mike Michalowicz, why it's really about "founder owner first", why the six and seven figure "more, more, more" hamster wheel leaves so many businesses with no cash, and the simple 1% bank account rule you can start with today, even if you're in debt.You'll also hear why businesses don't fail because of losses (they run out of cash), why looking under the rock beats the anxiety of not knowing, and the number one reason business owners don't pay themselves as much as they could.If you run a founder-led business and you're tired of being the last person to get paid, this one's for you.Join the Festoon 500, The Big Festoon's community of founders supporting founders: https://highlevel.thebigfestoon.com/festoon500Tickets for The Big Festoon: https://thebigfestoon.comCHAPTERS0:00 Why Profit Doesn't Mean Cash (Trailer)0:41 Welcome to The Festoon 500 Interviews3:24 Meet Jason Withers, Profit First Professional7:49 What Is Profit First? Profit vs Cash Explained10:57 Founder Owner First: Pay Yourself Before Anything Else13:49 When Should You Start Profit First? (Even With Debt)18:20 Why Founders Avoid Looking at Their Finances20:04 Businesses Don't Fail From Losses, They Run Out of Cash24:31 How to Get Started With Jason27:41 The No.1 Reason Business Owners Don't Pay Themselves Enough29:48 Join the Festoon 500#ProfitFirst #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneur

Free parenting downloads from Rebecca: https://www.kindercoaching.co.uk/resourcesTry My Mindset Mentor free for 7 days: https://www.skool.com/my-mindset-mentor-6473Join the Festoon 500 community: https://highlevel.thebigfestoon.com/festoon500 Why do so many capable, successful people suddenly lose confidence when they become parents? In this episode of The Festoon 500 Interviews, Dani Wallace sits down with Rebecca Claire, an NMC registered health visitor, children's nurse and founder of Kinder Coaching, to talk about matrescence, the fourth trimester and the real transition into parenthood. Rebecca explains why the problem for new parents today isn't a lack of information, it's an overwhelm of it, and how all that noise drowns out the instincts parents already have. You might have read all the books, but your baby hasn't. Dani and Rebecca also talk about why high achievers find early parenthood such a shock, how to support a friend who might be struggling, why postnatal depression can affect dads and partners too, and why it's completely normal not to feel an overwhelming rush of love the moment you meet your baby. Rebecca also shares her journey from health visiting to running an early years nursery for almost ten years, and why she now offers independent health visiting and family support, both in person and online. If you're expecting, a new parent, or you love someone who is, this conversation is a reminder that you're doing better than you think. REBECCA CLAIRE, KINDER COACHINGWebsite: https://www.kindercoaching.co.ukFree parenting resources: https://www.kindercoaching.co.uk/resourcesMy Mindset Mentor (7 days free): https://www.skool.com/my-mindset-mentor-6473Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinder_coachingInstagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/rebeccaclaire83Instagram (My Mindset Mentor): https://www.instagram.com/mymindsetmentorrebeccaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/KinderParentalCoachingFacebook (My Mindset Mentor): https://www.facebook.com/MyMindsetMentorRebeccaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaclaire JOIN THE FESTOON 500The Festoon 500 is Dani Wallace's community of founders and good people doing good things in the world, built so we can show up, wise up and rise up together. Membership includes tickets to The Big Festoon, meetups and referral parties.https://highlevel.thebigfestoon.com/festoon500 CHAPTERS0:00 Trailer: Matrescence and New Parent Confidence With Rebecca Claire0:50 Welcome to The Festoon 500 Interviews2:58 Meet Rebecca Claire: Health Visitor and Mindset Coach4:25 Why Successful People Lose Confidence When They Become Parents6:46 Matrescence and the Fourth Trimester Explained9:53 Why New Parents Hide How They're Really Coping12:37 How to Help a New Parent Who Is Struggling15:09 Postnatal Depression in Dads and Partners18:51 What Is an Independent Health Visitor?24:46 Not Feeling Instant Love for Your Baby? You're Not Alone26:27 Realistic Expectations, Going Back to Work and Parenting Later in Life29:29 Where to Find Rebecca and How to Join the Festoon 500

Is your merch just a cost, or could it be one of the smartest marketing tools in your business? In this episode of The Festoon 500 Interviews, Dani Wallace sits down with Lisa Dalgliesh, the Mother of Merch, to talk about how branded merchandise can build community, attract clients and become a real revenue stream for founder-led businesses.Lisa started out with a personalised gift business while on maternity leave. She soon noticed that every business event handed out the same cheap freebies (and those dreaded scratchy pens), and set out to make merchandise as sexy as your business. Since then she has created merch for The Big Festoon, including the iconic varsity jackets.Dani and Lisa get into why merch is the marketing underdog, what the music industry can teach small businesses about merch profit, how a done-for-you merch store lets you earn commission without storing stock or doing post office runs, and how merch can support social impact. Lisa also shares why she is bringing creativity back into business through her new creative coaching, why AI is great for processes but not for creativity, and why realistic goals beat trying to conquer the world in two hours a day.If you have ever left your branding or merchandise until the last minute, or wondered how to make your brand something people actually want to wear, this one is for you.Lisa Dalgliesh, Mother of Merch Website: https://www.the-mother.co.uk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mother_of_merch/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MotherofMerchFree resources from Lisa Bringing Creativity Back Into Business guide: https://www.the-mother.co.uk/bringing-creativity-back Event guide: https://motherofmerch.co.uk/event-guideJoin the Festoon 500, The Big Festoon's cornerstone community of founders supporting founders: https://highlevel.thebigfestoon.com/festoon500CHAPTERS 0:00 Trailer 0:53 Welcome to The Festoon 500 Interviews 3:35 Meet Lisa Dalgliesh, The Mother of Merch 6:02 From Personalised Gifts to a Branded Merchandise Business 9:54 How to Use Branded Merch to Build Community and Attract Clients 13:27 Why Merchandise Is a Revenue Stream, Not Just a Cost 15:13 Done-For-You Merch Stores: Earn Commission Without the Admin 19:16 AI vs Creativity: Why Business Owners Need to Trust Themselves Again 20:53 Event Support: Why You Shouldn't Run Events Alone 24:17 Creative Coaching and Setting Realistic Business Goals 26:17 Where to Find Lisa Dalgliesh

Why do over 60% of #startups fail when there is so much business support out there? Ricci Colla of Those Collaborations joins Dani Wallace on The Festoon 500 Interviews.Those Collaborations: https://thosecollaborations.co.ukThinking Spaces: https://thosecollaborations.co.uk/thinking-spaceJoin the Festoon 500 community: https://highlevel.thebigfestoon.com/festoon500Going from employee to business owner can feel lonely fast. One day you have colleagues, the next you are wearing eight or nine hats, spending most of your time on things you never set out to do, and sometimes working for months with no money coming in. Ricci believes that is exactly where so many founders give up, often just before the pivotal point.In this episode Ricci shares why it takes a village to raise a business, how his coaching business began when a friend stepping into a CEO role asked for help, and why business advice that says "this is the only way" doesn't work for unique humans. He and Dani also talk about finding the leaders who support business leaders, why success leaves clues, and why being part of just one network doesn't really suffice anymore.Ricci also shares what he and his brother Paul are building next: a membership run with its founding members as ambassadors, action focused local meetups (no mouthful of croissant networking), Lunch Break Live, Thinking Spaces, and Collaborative, a business and wellbeing event by the sea in the South.If you are in the early years of your business and it feels like you are doing it all on your own, this conversation is for you.RICCI COLLA, THOSE COLLABORATIONSWebsite: https://thosecollaborations.co.ukThinking Spaces: https://thosecollaborations.co.uk/thinking-spaceLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riccicollaFacebook: search "Ricci Colla"JOIN THE FESTOON 500The Festoon 500 is Dani Wallace's founding community of 500 business owners who believe we all do well when we all do well. Every pass includes tickets to The Big Festoon and the Beyond the Arena meetups, and sponsors grassroots organisations into The Big Festoon who might not otherwise be able to attend.https://highlevel.thebigfestoon.com/festoon500CHAPTERS0:00 Trailer: Why 60% of Startups Fail1:00 Welcome to The Festoon 500 Interviews3:54 Meet Ricci Colla: Business Support for Early Stage Founders7:05 Why Starting a Business Feels So Lonely8:29 Why Do Over 60% of Startups Fail?11:14 How a Coaching Business Started With One Friend14:16 Building a Business Community With Ambassadors and Local Meetups17:39 How to Get Involved: Lunch Break Live and Thinking Spaces19:23 Collaborative: A Business and Wellbeing Event by the Sea23:33 Why The Big Festoon Keeps Drawing Founders Back25:18 Where to Find Ricci Colla and How to Join the Festoon 500#startups #entrepreneur #smallbusiness

DeclutterCon is on Saturday 10 October 2026 in Sheffield City Centre. Follow Heather using the links below for tickets and details.Get Heather's free download, Get Sh*t Done: 26 Weird and Wonderful Strategies for ND Brains: https://www.untangledbytingle.com/danipodHeather's website: https://www.untangledbytingle.comJoin the Festoon 500 community: https://highlevel.thebigfestoon.com/festoon500Why does a home that looks beautiful on the outside feel impossible to live in? In this episode of The Festoon 500 Interviews, Dani Wallace sits down with professional declutterer and organiser Heather Tingle of Untangled by Tingle to talk about ADHD, autism, executive function and the hidden shame of doom piles, floordrobes and cluttered homes.Heather works mainly with neurodivergent clients, many of them late diagnosed, to drop the shame and build a home that works for their brain instead of against it. She shares why decluttering is not just about a skip and a clear-out, why neurotypical advice like lists, diaries and reminders so often fails, why there is so little support for people who look capable on the outside, and why sometimes a client does not need to remove a single thing.Dani and Heather also talk about the full tent at Ideas Fest, and the story behind DeclutterCon, the UK's first decluttering conference designed for neurodivergent people, created after Heather felt truly welcome at The Big Festoon.If you have ever felt like a failure because you can't keep on top of your home, this conversation is for you. It is not a personal failing, and there is help.HEATHER TINGLE, UNTANGLED BY TINGLEWebsite: https://www.untangledbytingle.comFree download: https://www.untangledbytingle.com/danipodFacebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/untangledbytingleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/untangledbytingleLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-tingle-848a2531Podcast: Decluttering UntangledJOIN THE FESTOON 500The Festoon 500 is Dani Wallace's community of serious business people running serious businesses, built on the belief that we all do well when we all do well. Membership includes tickets to The Big Festoon and supports grassroots organisations who would not normally be able to access a business and personal development event.https://highlevel.thebigfestoon.com/festoon5000:00 Trailer: ADHD, Autism and Clutter With Heather Tingle0:51 Welcome to The Festoon 500 Interviews6:13 Meet Heather Tingle: Professional Declutterer for Neurodivergent Clients8:48 ADHD, Autism and Clutter: The Hidden Shame Behind a Beautiful Home11:13 Doom Piles and Executive Function: Why You Can't Rest at Home14:21 Why There Is So Little Support for Neurodivergent Adults Who Look Capable16:33 Avoiding Home: Shopping Malls, Dopamine and the Cost of Clutter18:19 Ideas Fest: Why a Talk on Neurodivergent Clutter Filled the Tent19:48 Why Lists, Reminders and Diaries Don't Work for ADHD Brains23:41 Decluttering With ADHD: Tools, Strategies and Getting a Cleaner26:29 DeclutterCon: A Decluttering Conference for Neurodivergent People in Sheffield28:44 How The Big Festoon Inspired DeclutterCon30:07 What to Expect at DeclutterCon: Quiet Rooms, Challenges and Real Strategies32:48 Decluttering Isn't About Getting Rid of Things35:59 Why DeclutterCon Is the Best Place to Start38:53 Free Strategies for ND Brains, Where to Find Heather and How to Join the Festoon 500

What if you took a health day instead of a sick day? In this episode of The Festoon 500 Interviews, Dani Wallace sits down with Emmaline McAndrew — The Slow Business Woman — to talk about building a business when your energy isn't reliable, why chronic illness changes everything about how you work, and why “success doesn't love speed.”Emmaline helps women with limited or fluctuating energy — including those managing chronic illness, disability, or neurodivergence — learn how to set up and run their own business, whether that's a freelance gig, self-employment, or a limited company. In this conversation, she and Dani unpack “the Great Unlearning” — the lifetime of social conditioning that teaches women to be quiet, be organised, and do it all — and why “work life balance” needs to become “work health balance” instead.They also get into why professional boundaries work even when people hate them at first, why sharing the messy, unglossy parts of business builds a safer community than hiding them does, and Emmaline's challenge to every founder listening: take a health day, not a sick day.Website: https://www.theslowbusinesswoman.comInstagram: @theslowbusinesswomanJoin the Festoon 500 — The Big Festoon's founding community of founders supporting founders: https://highlevel.thebigfestoon.com/festoon5000:00  The Big Idea: Work Health Balance Over Work Life Balance0:58  Welcome To The Festoon 500 Interviews3:10  Meet Emmaline McAndrew: The Slow Business Woman4:14  The Great Unlearning: Hustle Culture, Hormones & Having It All11:02  Why "Slow Business" Started: Building With Fluctuating Energy14:56  Redefining Success: Wellness, Perimenopause & Burnout17:22  Professional Boundaries: Why "That's The Point"19:10  Sharing Your Story: Building A Safer Business Community24:37  Neurodivergence & The Right To Be Cared For25:57  Take A Health Day, Not A Sick Day29:34  Where To Find Emmaline McAndrew31:38  Join The Festoon 500: Founders Supporting FoundersEmmaline McAndrew — The Slow Business WomanCHAPTERS

Master community-based marketing by learning how to truly activate your audience. Stop treating your fans like a sausage factory.In this interview, Naomi Rose explains why modern marketing strategy relies on genuine human connection rather than outdated tactics. If you are struggling to build a loyal following, this conversation breaks down how to pivot from transactional messaging to meaningful interactions. We explore why your content often falls flat and how to fix your approach to ensure your message actually resonates with the people you want to reach.True audience engagement is about more than just numbers; it is about fostering an environment where your followers feel heard and valued. By prioritizing authentic connection over cold sales pitches, you can build a sustainable brand that stands the test of time. Learn why brand authenticity is the most powerful tool in your toolkit when trying to cut through the noise of a crowded digital landscape.Subscribe for weekly marketing strategy breakdowns, and comment below: what is one way you currently interact with your community?Catch this short podcast trailer for the upcoming Festoon 500 interview. Get a quick preview of our conversation with Naomi Rose.In this episode, we sit down with Naomi Rose to discuss her experiences and insights. We keep things focused on the stories and perspectives that define her work, ensuring you get the most value out of every minute of the full release.

In this Festoon 500 interview, host Dani Wallace sits down with Claire Bartlett — The Simplified CEO — to talk about a topic that's rarely discussed in business circles: perimenopause, and the very real impact it has on founders, leaders and their teams.Claire built and ran an accounting practice for over a decade before perimenopause forced her to rethink everything — and now she helps perimenopausal coaches, consultants and business owners simplify their businesses instead of burning out inside them. In this conversation, Claire and Dani get honest about brain fog, lost confidence, the "sandwich generation" squeeze, and why hustle culture was never designed with women's cyclical bodies in mind — plus what allies, employers and mixed-gender workplaces can do to genuinely support the 13 million women in the UK currently navigating perimenopause.Whether you're a founder feeling like you're "losing your edge," a leader with perimenopausal team members, or simply curious about a life stage that affects half the population, this episode offers permission, practical language, and a reminder that this can be an evolution — not an ending.In this episode:What "The Simplified CEO" approach actually meansWhy so many women close their businesses during perimenopause — and why that's preventableThe cognitive symptoms nobody talks about (brain fog, word loss, decision fatigue)Claire's own story: 10+ years running an accounting firm before perimenopause changed everythingHow to build policies and support structures for perimenopausal employees and foundersWhat allies in mixed-gender workplaces can do differentlyConnect with Claire Bartlett:Instagram: @theclairebartlett | TikTok: @simplifiedceopodcast | YouTube: @clairebartlettPodcast: The Simplified CEO PodcastFree resource: https://therealclairebartlett.com/webinar-registrationJoin the Festoon 500: highlevel.thebigfestoon.com/festoon500Short version (social bio / caption):13 million UK women are perimenopausal right now — and it's quietly reshaping how they run their businesses. Claire Bartlett (The Simplified CEO) joins the Festoon 500 to talk brain fog, boundaries and building a business that works with your body, not against it. 🎙️Chapters0:00 — Trailer0:44 — Welcome & Introducing Claire Bartlett3:34 — Meet Claire: The Simplified CEO4:34 — Why Perimenopause Is a Business Crisis (the stats)7:17 — Compassion, Care & the Sandwich Generation10:04 — Claire's Story: From Burnout to Rebuilding12:47 — The Cognitive Symptoms Nobody Talks About15:10 — Finding Safety in Shared Experience17:16 — The Phone Battery Analogy: Understanding Cognitive Load18:48 — Retreating, Embarrassment & Funny Relatable Moments21:29 — The Power of "No F***s Given"22:44 — Advice for Allies & Employers25:29 — Building Policies as You Scale26:23 — Where to Find Claire27:00 — Outro & Join the Festoon 500