Creating The Curve

Trust isn't just a marketing tactic. It's the foundation of whether someone chooses you at all.

In this solo episode of Creating the Curve, Anna Bravington builds on last week's conversation with Lorraine Emmett and dives deeper into what trust really means for small business founders in today's climate.

Drawing on insights from the Edelman Trust Barometer, conversations at You Are The Media, and her own lived experience building networks in Bournemouth and Fareham, Anna explores why trust is shrinking globally and why that makes it more important than ever for founders to build it intentionally.

From networking and communities to podcasts, webinars and even taking people out for lunch, this episode is packed with practical, human ways to strengthen trust before someone is ready to buy.

Anna covers:

• Why trust in institutions is declining and what that means for your business • Why people buy from those they know, not necessarily those who are "best" • How community marketing builds trust over time • Practical ways to build trust locally and online • Why giving value first (checklists, content, resources) creates credibility • The overlooked importance of trusting yourself as a founder

If sales feel harder, if cold outreach isn't landing, or if you're wondering why "less experienced" competitors seem to win work - this episode will help you understand why trust is often the missing piece.

To find out more about Creating The Curve, our community and membership, go to: https://creatingthecurve.co.uk

Trust is often talked about in business, but rarely understood properly.

In this episode of Creating the Curve, Anna Bravington is joined by Lorraine Emmett, Managing Director of award-winning tech PR agency ECPR, to unpack why trust is not a "nice to have", but the foundation of sustainable growth.

Lorraine draws on over 30 years of experience in PR and reputation management to explain why brand, credibility, and visibility matter more than ever in an AI-driven, noisy market, and why many founders unknowingly undermine trust without realising it.

Together, Anna and Lorraine explore:

• Why trust is the real gatekeeper in buying decisions, especially before sales conversations even begin

• How PR is really about managing reputation, not chasing coverage

• Why visibility without credibility is risky, particularly in the age of AI

• How challenger brands can outperform bigger competitors by building trust early

• What happens to sales cycles, margins, and growth when trust is neglected

• Practical ways founders can start building trust signals today, without huge budgets

This episode is essential listening for founders who want faster sales cycles, stronger differentiation, and a business that people actively choose to trust.

To find out more about Creating The Curve, our community and membership, go to: https://creatingthecurve.co.uk

To chat with our guest Lorraine, visit: https://ec-pr.com

In this solo episode of Creating the Curve, Anna Bravington builds on last week's conversation about inclusion and diversity and brings it firmly into the world of practical, everyday business.

Rather than treating inclusion as a tick-box exercise, Anna explores why cognitive diversity and different ways of thinking are one of the most powerful tools a business can have. Drawing on examples from marketing, innovation, leadership and her own career, she explains why businesses that encourage diverse perspectives tend to make better decisions, spot opportunities earlier, and avoid costly mistakes.

From homogenous teams that agree too easily, to marketing campaigns that miss the mark because no one challenged them, this episode looks at the real business impact of not listening widely enough. Anna also shares practical ways founders and small teams can bring in broader perspectives, even if they are working solo, through community, customer feedback, structured meetings and thoughtful use of AI.

In this episode, Anna covers:

• What cognitive diversity really means, and why it matters more than job titles or background alone • How diverse thinking leads to better innovation, marketing and commercial outcomes • Why teams that agree on everything can actually be a risk • Practical ways to hear quieter voices and avoid "same voice, same ideas" meetings • How solopreneurs and small teams can sense-check ideas using communities, customers and feedback • Why inclusion is a business advantage, not a compliance exercise

This episode is a practical, founder-focused reminder that inclusion is not about being politically correct. It is about building stronger teams, making better decisions, and creating businesses that truly understand their audiences.

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

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.