In this episode of Creating the Curve, Anna is joined by Inclusion Educator, writer, and speaker Orla McKeating, founder of Still I Rise Stories.

Together, they explore what inclusion actually looks like in practice, beyond policies, buzzwords, and tick-box exercises. Orla shares how storytelling creates safer, more human spaces for difficult conversations, particularly around race, neurodiversity, identity, disability, and belonging.

The conversation moves from childhood and education into workplaces and entrepreneurship, unpacking why culture is so hard to define, why psychological safety matters more than perks, and how founders and leaders can unintentionally exclude people even when their intentions are good.

Anna and Orla talk candidly about power, privilege, discomfort, resilience, management, and why community is one of the most under-valued tools for building inclusive, sustainable businesses. This episode is honest, thoughtful, and grounded in real experience, not theory.

It is a must-listen for founders, leaders, educators, and anyone trying to build environments where people can genuinely thrive, not just survive.

Find our guest Orla at: https://www.stillirisevoices.org

Find out more about Creating the Curve or join the community here: https://creatingthecurve.co.uk

What if changing direction in your business isn't a sign of failure - but a sign you're paying attention?

In this solo episode of Creating the Curve, Anna Bravington reflects on last week's conversation with Sally Measom and goes deeper into the uncomfortable but very real space where success, identity and change collide.

Drawing on her own winding career path, from programming to photography, content, strategy, and finally teaching and training, Anna explores how many of us build businesses based on what we think we should do, rather than what we actually want or enjoy.

This episode is about giving yourself permission to evolve. To question long-held assumptions about success, growth and longevity. And to recognise that businesses, like people, are allowed to change as life changes.

Anna talks about:

• Why not knowing what you want to do "when you grow up" isn't a problem — even in your 40s

• The difference between being good at something and wanting to do it

• How sunk cost fallacy keeps founders stuck in businesses that no longer fit

• Why change is so often wrongly labelled as failure

• How businesses can be built for different seasons of life and don't all need to grow

• The quiet pressure founders feel to keep going, even when something feels off

• Why success doesn't have to mean longevity, scale or constant growth

This is a nudge to reflect on whether your business still serves the life you're living now and a reminder that it's OK to pivot, pause, shrink, or redesign things so they work better for you.

If you've been feeling unsettled, stuck, or questioning your direction, this episode will help you feel a little less alone and a little more permissioned to change your mind.

Find out more about Creating the Curve or join the community here: https://creatingthecurve.co.uk

What if the reason you feel stuck isn't because you're failing, but because you've outgrown the version of success you were aiming for?

In this episode of Creating the Curve, Anna Bravington is joined by author, coach, and former Commercial Director Sally Measom, to talk about identity, belief systems, and what it really means to live life your way.

Sally shares her journey from a demanding commercial career to writing her book Live Life Your Way, and together they explore how childhood messages, self-talk, and unchallenged assumptions quietly shape our choices - often long into adulthood.

This is a thoughtful, honest conversation about slowing down, questioning the stories we tell ourselves, and giving ourselves permission to change course without guilt.

Together, Anna and Sally discuss:

• How early beliefs about who we are can limit what we think is possible

• Why being "good at something" doesn't mean it's the right thing to do forever

• The pressure founders put on themselves to keep going, even when they're unhappy

• Why joy, play, and rest aren't distractions - they're essential

• How pressing pause can lead to clearer decisions, not lost momentum

• Why it's OK to change your mind, redefine success, and build a business that fits your life now

If you've ever thought "Is this really it?" (in business or in life), this episode is a nudge to stop, reflect, and remember that you're allowed to choose differently.

Buy Sally's book, Life Life Your Way: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Live-Life-Your-Sally-Measom/dp/1739616707

And Visit Sally's website: https://www.livelifeyourway.co.uk

Find out more about our Creating the Curve or join our community here: https://creatingthecurve.co.uk

As founders, we spend so much time doing the work that keeps the business running that we often forget to step back and ask whether it's actually taking us where we want to go.

In this solo episode of Creating the Curve, Anna Bravington reflects on a challenging year for many business owners and explores why taking time to review, reset and plan isn't a luxury - it's essential work. Building on last week's conversation with Tom O'Malley, Anna shares what prompted her to pause, reflect, and get intentional again about goals, direction, and energy.

She introduces the Year Compass, a simple but powerful reflection tool, and explains how reviewing both your personal and business life together can bring clarity about what you really want from your business. Anna also breaks down SMART goals in practical, real-world terms, showing how vague intentions turn into measurable actions - and how working backwards from your goals makes marketing, sales and decision-making much easier.

In this episode, Anna covers:

• Why reflection matters just as much as action when running a business
• How tools like the Year Compass help align your business with your real life
• Why so many founders feel exhausted, busy or stuck - and how clarity helps
• How to set SMART goals that actually guide your marketing and sales activity
• Working backwards from revenue targets to understand what you need to do day to day
• Why being intentional with time, energy and focus matters more than doing more
• Letting go of guilt around planning and recognising it as proper, valuable work

This episode is a calm, honest reminder that stepping away from the desk to plan your direction isn't procrastination - it's how you build a business that works for you, not against you.

Lint to the Year Compass resource mentioned in the show: https://yearcompass.com

Find out more about Creating the Curve or join the community here: https://creatingthecurve.co.uk

Business protection is one of those topics most founders know they should think about… but often don't, until it's too late.

In this episode of Creating the Curve, Anna Bravington is joined by Tom O'Malley, business protection advisor and self-confessed industry misfit, for a refreshingly honest conversation about what business protection really is, why it's so misunderstood, and why putting it off can leave huge gaps in your business.

Tom shares how he stumbled into business protection himself, why it's a massively underserved area, and why empathy, trust and human conversations matter far more than suits, jargon and scare tactics. Together, Anna and Tom explore not just the practical side of protection, but the mindset issues founders face around risk, procrastination, confidence and doing the uncomfortable but important work.

In this episode, Anna and Tom talk about:

• What business protection actually covers (and why it's much more than life insurance) • The risks founders don't think about until something goes wrong • Why sickness is far more likely than death, and how income protection really works • How business protection can support directors, key people and partnerships • Why putting something in place is better than waiting for the "perfect" moment • The importance of trust, relatability and having difficult conversations in a human way

This episode is part practical guide, part mindset shift, and part reminder that building a business means protecting both the people and the work you've worked so hard to create.

If you'd like to talk to our guest Tom, please visit: https://talktoomalley.co.uk

Find out more about Creating the Curve or join the community here: https://creatingthecurve.co.uk

Running a business can be lonely - especially when you're spending most of your time sat at your desk, trying to do everything yourself.

In this solo episode of Creating the Curve, Anna Bravington reflects on last week's conversation about community and digs into why community matters so much for founders - not just for support, but for visibility, confidence, learning, and even winning work.

Drawing on her own experience of building, joining and running communities, Anna explores how showing the human behind the business changes how people connect with you, trust you, and choose to work with you. She also breaks down the different types of communities founders can join, why size isn't everything, and how to find (or build) communities that actually fit your working style and energy.

In this episode, Anna talks about:

• Why community reveals the human behind the business and why that matters more than a polished corporate image • How being active in communities can lead to work opportunities without "selling" • Why smaller, niche communities often work better than huge, noisy ones • How to choose the right platform based on how you already work and think • Why community participation is real work, even if it doesn't feel like traditional productivity • How stepping away from your desk and into community can move your business forward faster

Whether you're already part of several communities or haven't joined one yet, this episode is a gentle nudge to rethink how connection, learning and support fit into your working week and how community can help you feel less alone as a founder.

Find out more about Creating the Curve or join the community here: https://creatingthecurve.co.uk

In this episode of Creating the Curve, Anna Bravington is joined by Mark Masters, founder of You Are The Media, to talk about what community really means in business and why it matters more than ever.

They explore the shift away from broadcasting at people towards creating spaces where people feel they belong. From building trust and shared identity, to why experiences matter more than polished perfection, this is a conversation about the power of collective effort over individual hustle.

Mark shares honest stories from building You Are The Media, including moments that didn't go to plan (a power cut, a pub, and a laptop held open on 4G), and why those imperfect moments often become the most memorable and meaningful.

Together, Anna and Mark unpack how community lightens the load for founders, creates stronger relationships, supports better learning, and helps people feel less alone in business. It's a thoughtful, practical conversation about connection, contribution, and why the future of marketing and growth is built with people, not just platforms.

In this solo episode of Creating the Curve, Anna Bravington gets honest about the messy reality of making video as a founder... especially when you don't feel like it, don't have perfect equipment, or (in this case) have a full-on pre-Christmas cold.

Following last week's conversation with Juma Bannister, Anna dives deeper into the real barriers behind video avoidance: procrastination, perfectionism, tech faff, and the belief that we need to "feel ready" before we start. She shares her own story of delaying her podcast restart for 18 months, and how discipline, not motivation, finally got her moving again.

Anna talks through the small systems and shortcuts that now make her filming process easier - from Dr Octopus desk arms to Audacity templates - and why reducing friction is the only way most founders ever build consistency. She also reflects on confidence, practice, and how to start small by recording videos in safe spaces before ever posting publicly.

This episode is a warm, practical pep talk for founders who want to use video but feel overwhelmed by the pressure to be polished. If you've been putting off recording anything at all, this might be the nudge you need to finally press record... even when you have a runny nose.

Find out more about Creating the Curve or join our community here: https://creatingthecurve.co.uk

Many founders know video would help their business… yet still avoid making it. Whether it's fear, uncertainty, perfectionism, or simply not knowing where to begin, video often feels harder than it should.

In this episode of Creating the Curve, Anna Bravington is joined by Juma Bannister, Executive Creative Director of Relate Studios, who breaks down the real reason people don't make video - and it's not a lack of ideas. As Juma explains, "Saying things publicly makes us feel vulnerable," and that vulnerability, not technique, is what stops most professionals from ever pressing record.

Together they explore the fears and misconceptions that hold founders back: worrying about how they look or sound, believing they need perfect gear, or feeling unsure what to say. Juma shares a grounded, practical approach to building confidence, consistency, and skill - including how to create 12 months of video content without the overwhelm.

Listeners will learn:

• Why video resistance is often emotional, not technical

• How to make video feel easier by reducing friction

• Why perfection is the enemy of progress

• How practice and systems build confidence

• How to use tools like Descript and ChatGPT to streamline the process

This episode is for any founder who knows video could grow their business but hasn't yet found the courage or the structure to get started. By the end, video feels far less intimidating and far more achievable.

Find out more about Creating the Curve or join our community here: https://creatingthecurve.co.uk

To connect with Juma, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jumabannister/ or via his website: https://jumabannister.com/

AI might feel like it suddenly exploded into our lives, but as Anna explains in this solo episode of Creating the Curve, the technology has been quietly shaping our world for years. The real challenge for founders isn't the AI itself - it's how we, as humans, respond to change.

Drawing on decades of tech experience, personal stories, and insights from last week's guest Luke Williams, Anna explores how to stay curious, confident and authentic as AI becomes part of everyday business.

In this episode, Anna talks about:

• Why AI feels overwhelming and how familiarity makes new tech easier to adopt
• The importance of staying curious and future-focused so you don't get left behind
• How to choose AI tools that fit your values, without sacrificing authenticity
• Where AI and automation genuinely save time, and where human oversight still matters
• Practical ways founders can experiment with AI through small, low-pressure trials
• Why embracing the human side of tech is just as important as the tools themselves

Whether you're excited by AI or exhausted by it, this episode helps founders navigate change with confidence - one small step (and one curious mindset) at a time.

Find out more about Creating the Curve or join our community here: https://creatingthecurve.co.uk