This week, I talk about the evolving trends we see on Instagram, and why they all inevitably change. We look at the costs and benefits of playing into a trend, and I share some strategies for using trending styles of posts without losing sight of your brand or your own creative goals. This episode is kindly sponsored by Vodafone Business UK.

Cookery writer Skye McAlpine returns to the podcast this week to talk about her new book, A Table for Friends. We wax philosophical about the deeply personal and empowering side to cooking our own food, and we discuss the role food has been playing in lockdown, how to set up two kitchens in different countries… and the genius of ready-chopped onions. 

Our guest today is the awesome Maressa Fernandez, otherwise known as Maressa Made over on the gram. Maressa describes herself as “a knitter, a sewist, a lover of slow fashion journeys, and an accessible creative coach.", and some of you might already have seen me highlight her in my monthly email newsletter's Creator Spotlight section. In this episode, we go deep into her creative and professional journey, discuss how following her interests and showing up online as a whole person has helped...

This week author Fiona Thomas returns to the podcast to dig into the truth about transitioning to freelance life… and launching a book in the midst of a pandemic. I also talk to Insta Retreat graduate Rebecca Lewis about pivoting her business, and why you don't always need a huge audience online to build meaningful success.

When it is time to create a new product, and leave an old one behind? Something I see pretty often is people giving up on what they've already made too soon, because the selling and promoting feels hard, uncomfortable or like it's not living up to our hopes. In this episode, I share lessons learned from selling my signature course for 4+ years, and invite you to reconsider whether it's really time to walk away from your previous hard work just yet...

Nova Reid is an anti-racism activist and educator who specialises in working with liberal white women. We recorded this episode together before lockdown and the killing of George Floyd, but her message and all that she shares is, if anything, more valuable now than ever.

The first interview I've done since lockdown began, for this week's episode I chatted with artists and illustrators Helen Stephens, Katie Draws and Tania Willis about their joint project, the alternative online art school The Good Ship Illustration. In this four-way Skype call, we talk about the magic of imperfection, how to find your creative voice in a world that wants you to conform and the magic of flying your freak flag.

This episode was recorded a couple of weeks ago now - which feels like a lifetime ago in the post COVID19 world. I considered delaying the episode but in the end I decided that the topics we cover - distraction, getting stuff done, being a present & engaged parent and dealing with our own negative emotions - are probably more relevant to many of us than ever, right now. So, here's past guest Nir Eyal answering listener questions about distraction and focus, and how we can have more choice...

Two wonderful women this week! Author Rachael Lucas joins me for a cuppa at my kitchen table to talk about writing books, living with acronyms (ASD, AHDH, POTS...) and courageously crafting success in a messy world. I also talk to Kelsey Mech, Insta Retreat alumni and trauma therapist, who's using her social media to help more women access better mental health.

This week I talk to Maria Wigge, an artist I met through my Insta Retreat class, who started sharing her work on Instagram and found it changed her life! I also dig into some of the most commonly asked instagram questions and dilemmas, including the latest on hashtags and algorithms, ways to create real and heartfelt value for your followers, and the best ways to showcase a brand. Got a question I didn't cover? Pop it in the comment box on my website and I'll try and answer it in a future...

Anna Codrea-Rado is a journalist and podcaster who is, in my humble opinion, doing some of the most important work in the UK freelance community right now. Her work campaigning for fairer payment terms, helping journalists establish their own platforms and bridging the world of journalism with the skills and knowledge of the content creator sphere are game-changing and overdue, and I was super excited to talk with her about all of this and more in today's episode.

As technology plays a bigger and bigger part in our lives, our attention, and who gets to grab it, becomes increasingly big business. From simple smartphone notifications to games, apps and platforms that are designed to make us hooked, developing our ability to choose and direct our own attention is an essential skill for staying focused and productive in the modern world. Nir Eyal, author of Indistractable, took a deep dive into the science, research and future of our attention spans, and...

Sophie Hansen is a writer and photographer living in rural, remote Australia. And yet, she has built a thriving, profitable and strong community around her, thanks to her blog, her use of social media and her talent for bringing people together. In this week's episode, she talks about why social media is so essential for her fellow farmers and product-based businesses, and the power of taking those online relationships into the real world.

You know how much I love Instagram - it's the perfect playground for creatives online. Many of us see it as the 'make or break' platform for creatives and business owners - but is Instagram alone enough to make your business thrive? In this week's episode, I talk about why it's essential to be showing up on more than just one platform, and share my tips and strategies for doing so without spreading yourself too thin.

EJ Osborne describes himself as a BBC presenter and maker of things who's big on smiling. He uses Instagram to document his work and life - from spoon carving and woodland adventures to his trans journey and recent cancer diagnosis. In this week's episode he tells us about how he maintains a healthy relationship with Instagram, how he avoids being distracted by what everyone else is doing, and how is insta adventures led him to his job presenting on daytime BBC.

Jameisha Prescod is a filmmaker and journalist, who also happens to live with a chronic illness. She brought all these things together in her digital space for documenting and sharing life with chronic illness, You Look Okay To Me, as a place for people to connect, share stories, get help and generally just feel less alone. I called her up on her lunch break at the BBC to find out how she got started, what sickness and seeking a diagnosis has taught her, and how she balances her creative work...

Does any of this sound familiar? You're stuck in passive action - reading about things instead of actually doing them. You procrastinate on the steps to take you towards your big dreams and goals, even though you know they're the path to happiness and fulfilment? Maybe you constantly make promises to yourself that you break, and your self-esteem and self-belief​ is suffering as a result? This week's episode is for everyone nodding along right now.

My guest this week, Jane Lindsey, had what so many of us dream of a successful handmade business, a six-figure turnover, a loyal team, and her embroidery in homes around the world. But it didn't feel right. So, Jane did what not many of us would be brave enough to do - she pulled back, completely pivoted her business, and began to embrace her own internal measures of success instead. She talks to me about how she recognised what she wanted, why she had to make a difference, and how she's...

My guest this week, author and journalist Fiona Thomas, credits social media with triggering anxiety in the midst of an episode of deep depression - and then helping her find her way back to herself. In this week's conversation, we talk about the importance of boundaries, self-worth, productivity, Instagram, mental illness and community, and how we can weave them all together to stay happy and healthy online.

Annabelle Hickson describes herself as an "accidental florist", which gives her far too little credit for the magic she's made happen in both her career and her life. Educator, author, photographer and podcaster, she lives on a pecan farm in rural Australia and shares to the world via social media. In this week's conversation, she talks us through how she weaves beauty out of the things that she finds on the roadside - both literally, and perhaps a little bit metaphorically too. 

This week I'm talking about something that must be familiar to every creative and entrepreneur. It happens when your inbox is quiet; when somebody else lands that big deal or opportunity you always wanted; when you can't stop looking at everyone else's follower counts. Fear of failure hits us all sometimes, and it's easy to spiral in to panic. In this episode I share 10 practical and intentional things you can do to understand your fear, and use it to build forward momentum.

By the age of 21, Chupi Sweetman had been a cookbook writer and landed her dream job as a fashion designer for Topshop. But she still had bigger dreams. She's now best known for her eponymous and massively successful jewellery company, and - as you'll hear in this conversation - is every bit as sparkling and enchanting as the things she creates.

Today I'm introducing you all to a woman I could not live without! Naomi and I met when she was a student in my very first Instagram class. Later, when I advertised for a virtual assistant, she applied for the role from her home in Australia. I interviewed her via Skype, realised what an amazing skill set and talent she has, and she's been a vital member of the team ever since. In this episode,​ we talk about the role Instagram has played in her career journey, and in helping her find the...

In this quick solo episode, I catch up on where I've been over the summer, what prompted my extended break and dig into some of the reasons why seasons of rest still feel so terrifying to many of us.