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

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! 

Sophie Gregory, also known as @farmer_in_training, is a first generation farmer with a 400 strong organic dairy herd. What might comes as a surprise is that she actually started out as an accountant! Her husband's passion to have a dairy farm coupled with having her first child created a route into farming that she didn't expect. Learning from the calves upwards, Sophie threw herself into the farm and learnt all she could, and now she's taken it to another level. She sits on boards (including the NFU Dairy Board) to support the industry, is passionate about education at all levels with Discover Farming and is having her own classroom built on the farm, and invests time and energy in her own continuing professional development. She's also a Nuffield Scholar, an accolade she was awarded because of her passion, dedication, and the charity's belief in her. Sophie's passion for farming and business shines through, and it was a true joy to get under the skin of agriculture in this way. We also chatted about the part that social media plays in it all. You might be surprised! I found it fascinating- I really hope you do too!

'Nothing was ever accomplished in uncomfortable underwear' - a quote I, and many others, wholeheartedly agree with. And it comes from the founder of Stripe and Stare, a brand dedicated to righting this! Katie has grown this business from her kitchen table, sampling products and testing them at a small scale up to the multi million pound company it is today, that names Fearne Cotton and Oprah (yes, THE Oprah) amongst its fans. But it's been a rollercoaster. From serious debt to the highs of customers investing in the brand, growing the business and team... and as you'll hear, it's clear that Katie really is just getting started.

Inspiration and inspirational people are all around us... but we don't always see them, do we? Perhaps we are too bogged down in the day to day to notice? Or maybe some of us just can't see it when it's standing in front of us?  On a recent trip to Edinburgh, I met an amazing chap called Charlie. Dressed in a cloak, he gave a group tour with a Harry Potter theme, and I- as well as the rest of the crowd - were completely captivated by not just his delivery, but his passion, his knowledge, how genuinely excited he was about everything he had to share.  A lot of the time, we see people shouting about why they're brilliant, but I personally prefer to see people show their greatness through action, not their own 'reviews'! This got me thinking- inspired by Charlie - about what makes people inspirational? Exceptional? How we can spot, nurture and support them, and how we can examine our own behaviour and adjust to inspire others, just like Charlie- and many others- do for me.  

No, that wasn't a typo. Today we're talking about the ability to find a problem to every solution, how you can identify this unhelpful behaviour, and how it's limiting you and your own growth. A little while ago, I had a random chat with someone who had this way of operating. They explained their issues, I asked questions and they generated ideas that would have be helpful in overcoming the issues - and every time an excuse appeared as to why they wouldn't be able to do this. At the same time, they explained how the current situation was neither productive or sustainable. It puzzled me. From looking from the outside in, the solutions were obvious, easy and do-able, but to them, nothing was. They were in a problem focussed mindset, not a solution focused one.  We can all stray into this way of thinking from time to time, but when we identify it, we can take positive steps, have a quiet word with ourselves, and challenge a different way of thinking. Hopefully this podcast will help you if you identify yourself in any of the above!

Sarah Elebert is not new to the Small & Supercharged Podcast, but her latest venture, co-founded with best friend Nichola, is. The duo started their business, Envious Styling, to help provide women with stunning dresses to rent that made them feel a million dollars, but they did it differently. The dresses are selected to fit specific sizes and shapes, and Nichola provides styling advice (she's a certified Personal Stylist) so everything works how it should. And between them, they've also launched a product set to revolutionise wardrobes all over the world. On top of all of this, both ladies are mums with Sarah having two girls (in addition to two other businesses), and Nichola having four boys, and both manage the juggle admirably.  On this episode, Sarah talks about founding a brand with your best friend, company growth and development, how everything ties together, and how she manages it all.  

In the UK, we're now part way through the second week of the summer holidays, and I know how hard it can be. You have work, the heat, life, and now full time child activity provider/cook/cleaner/fixer/adjudicator of sibling squabbles to add to the list. It's a lot. As a mum of two lively boys, I wanted to share some tips that have helped me this summer holiday so far, just in case one helps you. I'm not perfect (at all), suffer from the mum guilt the same as everyone else I know, but I really do think that the tips and, I guess, insight gathered from managing twins alongside being self employed could help you if you're struggling. Listen, enjoy, get yourself a cup of tea, cut yourself some slack, and PLEASE share whatever hacks and tips are helping you this summer too! We're in this together!

What do cookies, creativity, Regé-Jean Page, Zoella AND Brazilian Bum Bum Cream have in common?! It's Baked By Steph, a brilliant, fun, hobby turned business that Steph Giordano started in 2019. Steph became obsessed with beautiful biscuits and the decoration of them as a hobby. As she perfected her fun designs, people started to notice, and this quickly turned into people asking to buy her creations and brand collabs. Now, through continually developing her range and tapping into what's happening in the world now, Steph and her team create gifts, treats and cookies that win favour and go viral because of all of this! It hasn't been plain sailing (or baking!) - when Steph's hobby started to attract attention online and orders started to come in, she had to scale and had a steep learning curve. She's also had a few viral moments that saw her account grow by thousands and thousands in a short space of time, and she still has that love/hate relationship with social media! Find out all about Steph, her business, her biscuits, and SO much more on today's episode.