Recent closures of high street chains further highlights the challenges of bricks and mortar stores, but how are the new kids on the block building their businesses and creating a community.  This episode I chat with Cat Anderson founder of sustainable clothing store Treen a  vegan fashion retailer, offering a selection of style must-haves from a carefully selected group of brands that make a positive difference. Providing a killer wardrobe without Killing the planet.  This episode we chat...

Are you using your stories to their full potential?  Using stories to connect and sell is key to help you business grow. Ep 136 is with creative content consultant May Castillo our key focus today is How to sell in your stories.  Some of the topics we chat about are:  "Fearless Selling" - Overcome the emotional barriers to confidently sell your products or services. "Sales Foundations" - Understand essential sales strategies before utilizing Instagram stories to sell. "Consumer Shifts" -...

On average 35-40% of your turnover in your product business should come from your email marketing. If you're not quite reaching that target then this episode is for you.  This week in the start scale succeed podcast I chat with Hannah Spicer email marketing expert  During the podcast, Hannah shares valuable insights on: - Mistakes businesses make with their emails - Building effective retention and win-back email flows - Optimizing open and click-through rates - Creating engaging and...

In this episode of Start Scale Succeed host Nicole Higgins is joined by guest Katie Tucker, author of "Do penguins eat peaches  and founder of Product Jungle. Together, they delve into the essential topic of understanding customers and how businesses can leverage this understanding to thrive. Katie provides invaluable insights into market research, customer discovery, and the importance of aligning with customer values. Listeners will gain practical tips for conducting effective surveys,...

The UK wedding industry is worth £14 billion and this weeks’ Guest is definitely having their slice of the pie.  Revolutionizing the bridal industry with the “airbnb” of bridal rentals.  I chat with co-founder Ella Gaskell about PS Bridal Rental,  a rental and resale platform.  Celebrity Stylist Ella partnered with Zoe Jervoise Graham  to start the business after establishing during covid that there was a definite gap in the market for the idea  We discuss about how the idea came to life...

Content pillars - a term we often hear talked about in relation to social media and creating content but what are they?  how many should you have? and how do you establish what they are, In this episode Nicole chats with Char Dixon ex head of marketing for Dune and New Look (to name a few ) and founder of loud mouth content.  Chars’ aim is to reduce the overwhelm of content creation for small business owners    The episode guides both new and existing businesses on reassessing scattered...

From running home on her lunch break  to post orders to now owning a bricks and mortar store, a thriving online business and co-founding a ladies fashion brand.  In this weeks episode of Start scale succeed (ep 131) I chat with Sophie Cafolla founder of stock & Co a stunning children’s lifestyle brand on how the brand has evolved over the years and why bricks and mortar is key to their growth.  Sophie shares great insight and tips that will really help and inspire you in you business...

In this episode, we sit down with Nikki Coe, a branding expert and business coach specializing in working with co-founders.  Nikki shares her insights on why 65% of high-potential businesses fail due to co-founder fallout and offers valuable advice on nurturing successful partnerships.  From identifying tensions within the business to the importance of open communication, Nikki provides practical tips and real-life examples to help co-founders navigate the complexities of their...

Goals aren’t just for January.  In this workshop style episode host Nicole Higgins takes listeners through a comprehensive guide on setting strategic business goals for future success. Drawing from her extensive experience in corporate strategy and entrepreneurship, Nicole outlines the importance of setting goals and the actionable steps necessary to achieve them. Split into 3 parts Reflections, Review and Plan  Reflection - Nicole encourages listeners to reflect on their experiences in...

Resilience, Rebrand and Reinvention.  These are some of the topics I chat about with Ness, founder of the find boutique in this weeks podcast episode. The experience of rebranding, handling business setbacks, including a social media hack, which meant she lost all her followers and had to start from scratch.  The strategy behind weekly drops, engaging customers through live sessions, and the shift to smaller, more profitable fashion events. Ness's learning curve in the industry, her focus...

I’m often asked how long it takes to start a product business and the answer is how long is a piece of string as there are so many variables at play.  These variables are something I discuss with TV fashion stylist turned Founder  Judy Gilroy creator of  home organisation brand @clossy who shares her journey of why after thinking about two other business previously she bit the bullet and started her own product business alongside a successful tv and styling career and family life.  Some of...

Hands up if you remember the Barbie Launch extravaganza? I'd never seen anything like it and it made me look more at experiential marketing, what it was and how it works. Connecting with your consumers and creating a memorable experience is key to help building your brand. This week in the Start Scale Succeed podcast I dive more into that with my chat with Katie Peake founder of backlash creative THE agency for experiential marketing specialising in fashion & beauty pop ups and...

It's never too late to start your business.  In this weeks episode of Start Scale Succeed, I chat with founder Karen Saul who started her ethical and sustainable brand brand Good Wash Day mid lockdown in her 50's. Good wash day is a organic cotton jersey towel ethically sourced to eliminate the frizz that standard towels can cause. Kind to all hair types. Karen shares about the twists and turns of her start up journey, the costs and research that went into the brand at the beginning: How...

From Barrister to Beauty brand to B-Corp This weeks episode of the start scale succeed podcast we are chatting all about becoming a B-corp with This is silk founder Sonal Keay who during her legal career began a side hustle focused on the benefits of silk in skincare based on her own skincare needs and problems which then flourished and became her main focus and business Sonal shares her start up story and the initial research that went into the brand along with why she wanted to become a...

Do you find selling easy? and are you using your socials to sell as much as you could. If you answered no to both of those questions then this episode is for you.  Today's episode is a must-listen for every small business owner and entrepreneur looking for sustainable strategies to boost client engagement and sales without the burnout.  Special guest Sara Dalrymple , a renowned sales trainer and mentor, who brings a treasure trove of practical advice from her new book 'More Sales, Please.'...

One of the challenges that a small business can be faced with is  when a larger retailer with bottomless pockets blatantly rips off your designs. This is one of the topics I'm talking to Cara the founder of snoozeshade  on ep 122 of Start Scale Succeed. Cara Sayer, founder of Snooze Shade,  shares  her gripping journey of battling corporate giants and protecting her invention. With her blend of personal anecdotes and business acumen, Cara divulged how she dealt with a big retailer...

In this episode, host Nicole Higgins sits down with Georgia Williams, founder of Ray of Social and Canva Queen, to discuss how to create content that captures attention and stands out from the competition. Georgia shares valuable tips on finding your unique voice, showcasing confidence, outsourcing tasks, and creating a content plan with a purpose. Whether you're starting fresh or in need of a content refresh, this episode provides practical advice to help you elevate your content and stop...

Building a business on your own can be tiring and overwhelming, as you have to wear many hats and juggle all the tasks. Experienced Make Up Artist Donna May Clitheroe founded Donna May London in 2017, creating embroidered make up bags. Rapid growth led Donna to partner with Sarah Spence, her website and brand designer. Together they have taken the business from strength to strength, expanding their customer base, introducing several new products and expanding more into wholesale  Some of the...

How can you boost your personal performance in business and life? Elevate yourself, and you will make better decisions, have more energy and more to give. Harvey Fairburn is the founder of Fairburn Fitness and a high-performance coach who specializes in helping business owners elevate their personal standards and improve their performance in their businesses.  His passion for this work stems from his own personal journey, having experienced the detrimental effects of neglecting self-care...

So many women I speak to follow a varied path before they start their business. And this week's guest also had a varied career before she set up her business. Jenni Retourné is the founder of independent, natural skincare brand, Willowberry. Join us as we dive deep into Jenni's journey of starting her own beauty brand, the challenges she faced, and the incredible success she has achieved. From formulating her signature products at her kitchen table to forging partnerships with key retailers,...

When should you consider working with a digital marketing agency? How can you ensure smooth growth and maximize returns on ad spending? How do you know what agency is the right fit for you?  For this week’s episode I am joined by Anna Frapwell, the founder of Neon Digital Clicks and an industry expert with 20 years of digital marketing experience. Anna shares her invaluable insights on when to consider investing in digital marketing, how to decide if an agency is the right fit for your...

In this week’s episode we are diving into an alternative tool you can use to help you thrive in business, and manage stress.   I’m joined by Shauna Corr, an EFT (Emotional Freedom Therapy) expert. EFT is a relatively new therapy, but it is quickly gaining popularity due to its simplicity, effectiveness,  EFT combines Chinese acupuncture with modern talking therapy. Shauna helps people address their issues by tapping on certain parts of the body while discussing their concerns.  Despite...

This weeks episode I’m joined by Sallie King who started her business urbansize in 2015 leaving behind a career in law to establish her own business creating stylish furniture for small spaces.  Slowly, establishing her business through etsy, not on the high street and DTC, We are debunking the overnight success myth and focusing on real stories, real business , real life  Her innovative floating bedside tables began to take off with sales initially coming from Etsy,  Sallie shares how she...

Want to smash your Q4 in your product business without feeling drained come January!  Lucy Haslam is the founder of children's lifestyle brand Acorn & Pip, a bricks and mortar store & cafe established in West Yorkshire with a thriving online presence.  Established over 5 years ago with the customer, mindfulness and authenticity at its core.  In this episode, Lucy shares her Q4 retail checklist so that you can make the most of the last quarter of the year and goes through her tips...

If you have been in business a few years now then you might be thinking should I rebrand? Or perhaps you started your brand on a shoe string and it doesn't really fit anymore with where you want to take the brand and your business. This weeks podcast episode with Aiza Cheung founder of Sudio Coya we chat about rebranding and signs that Your business may need a branding overhaul. Some of the areas we chatted about are How does branding play a role in attracting your target audience and...