I Shouldn't Say This, But...

This week I'm joined by Pav, CEO of We Are The Allies, the incredible agency behind this podcast, and it's one of the best founding stories I've heard.

Pav's career started in the accounts department of a Leeds agency (she didn't even have the GCSEs for it) and took her through the marketing departments of Morrisons, Poundland and Co-op before she finally went out on her own. But the real spark came from her husband Rick, a freelance creative director who went nine months without being paid on a major campaign. That injustice became the founding brief for Creative Allies, sketched out on the back of a napkin, literally.

Seven years on, that napkin sketch is a network of 500 vetted freelancers across 46 creative categories, working with 400+ agencies and clients. We talk about how they built trust at scale (480 interviews before they'd take on 135 people), why freelancers deserve to be paid in 14 days not 9 months, their work opening doors for next-gen talent through Channel 4's Content Creatives programme, and what's next as they build out an AI division.

It's a brilliant listen if you've ever wondered what happens when someone gets properly, righteously annoyed on someone else's behalf and turns it into a business.

Why You're Exhausted, Foggy and Under-Fuelled (And What To Do About It) | Jade Reilly, NHS Dietitian

In this episode I sit down with Jade Reilly, a registered dietitian of over a decade with the NHS, personal trainer, Pilates teacher, and On running ambassador, to talk about what it actually takes to fuel a body that's trying to build a business, train like an athlete, and show up for everyone else, all at once.

We get into why most of us are chronically under-fuelled without even realising it, why "hustle culture" was never built with women's hormones in mind, and what fasting actually does to female bodies (spoiler: the research nobody talks about). Jade also shares her own experience of burnout and losing her period, and why she believes eating shouldn't be about restriction, it should be about performance.

We finish with a supplement quick-fire round where Jade rates everything from vitamin D to greens powders, and tells us honestly what's worth your money and what isn't.

If you've ever skipped breakfast to get out the door, felt guilty about "not eating clean enough," or wondered why your brain feels foggy by 2pm, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

She's had death threats over hair. She won't stop.

In this episode of I Shouldn't Say This But, Katy Leeson sits down with hairdresser, turned-content-creator Sarah (SLK), 21 years in the industry, founder of Host Manchester, and one of the most followed voices in UK hairdressing.

Sarah opens up about the reality behind the highlight reel: the trolling, the violent threats, the message that made her want to quit for good (and the one message that made her stay). She shares how a holiday in Portugal changed the entire direction of her career, how a single webinar generated £150k in two days, and why she still gets imposter syndrome every single time she tries something new (including teaching on the other side of the world).

We also get into the post that nearly broke the internet, "I'm a hairdresser, not a therapist" and why Sarah stood by it even when the backlash was brutal.

In this episode:

This one's honest, it's funny, it's got a fair bit of swearing — and it might just change how you think about showing up online.

🎙️ Recorded at Mollies, Manchester
 🤝 Sponsored by We Are The Allies

Follow Katy: [@katyleeson]
Follow Sarah: [@slkbleachexpert]

Consider this your invitation to pull up a chair at Mollies and have a proper catch-up with me, because that's exactly what this episode is.

It's been a whirlwind few weeks. I'm talking talks, coaching sessions that made me genuinely emotional, a fitness competition that nearly finished me off (but also proved what this body is capable of, 100kg deadlift?!), and a business that finally feels like it's moving the way I always knew it could.

But this one isn't just about work. We get into the stuff that fills your cup back up, gratitude practices, Fozzie walks, Love Island, and why I will always choose dancing on a chair over monitoring my sleep score. Life is for living, and I refuse to optimise the joy out of it.

I also share a question from a talk that completely stopped me in my tracks and sent me down a whole new rabbit hole around imposter syndrome, not just how you experience it, but how to spot it in the people you lead.

If you've ever felt like you needed permission to be brilliant at work and a little bit silly at the weekend, this is the episode for you.

🎙️ Recorded at the beautiful Mollies Manchester. Proudly sponsored by We Are The Allies.

Your Impostor Syndrome Isn't Going Away. Here's Why That's Actually Good News.

Imposter syndrome gets talked about like it's a beginner's problem, something you grow out of as your career matures. Katy's here to tell you that's not how it works.

After 20 years in leadership, scaling businesses, sitting in boardrooms and speaking to thousands of people on stage, she still has weeks where she questions everything. And she's not alone. 78% of UK business leaders and 80% of MDs admit to feeling out of their depth, they're just not saying it out loud.

This episode isn't for people just starting out. It's for experienced leaders who've already proved themselves and are still quietly wondering if today's the day someone finds them out.

Katy shares how being made MD of Social Chain at 32 (six months into the role) brought her impostor syndrome crashing to the surface, what working with a therapist taught her about the stereotype she was unconsciously leading from, and why the impostor never fully disappears, no matter how much you achieve.

But here's the reframe: what if it's not supposed to? What if your impostor syndrome isn't a flaw to fix, but a signal to follow?

In this episode:

You're not on your own. And you never were.

In this episode I sit down with Kelly Tucker, Founder of HR Star, for a conversation every founder and leader needs to hear.

We get into why your people are your biggest P&L line but probably get the least attention, the subscription model of work, Gen Z expectations, hybrid working, new employment law changes, and what it actually takes to build a culture that delivers.

If you are growing, hiring, or trying to hold onto your best people, this one is for you.

I Shouldn't Say This, But is hosted by Katy Leeson
Recorded at Mollies, Manchester
Proudly sponsored by We Are The Allies
Produced by The Club

Subscribe so you don't miss an episode and follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram at Katy Leeson.

After four years away, I'm back!

In this first episode, I'm taking it right back to the beginning, from press buyer to managing director of Social Chain, growing the agency from 30 to 130 people and 650% revenue growth, to working alongside Gary Neville, and now returning with a brand new chapter of I Shouldn't Say This, But.

I talk about how the podcast was born out of a need to build a personal brand authentically, why I stepped away, and what the last four years of personal growth, coaching, consultancy, and speaking have taught me about leadership, values, and knowing yourself.

This season I'll be sitting down with some of the biggest brands and leaders in the world, diving into AI, HR, finance, leadership challenges, and what really goes on behind the scenes of the fastest growing businesses.

Get ready because I'm back and I'm so excited!

I Shouldn't Say This, But is hosted by Katy Leeson
Recorded at Mollies, Manchester
Proudly sponsored by We Are The Allies
Production by The Club Manchester

Subscribe so you don't miss an episode and leave a review if you enjoyed it, it helps more people find the show.

Follow me:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katyleeson
Instagram: @katyleeson

I Shouldn't Say This But is back, and I've got a lot to say and share.

I'm Katy Leeson, former MD of Social Chain, founder of Courageous, and I'm bringing back one of the UK's top-ranked business podcasts with a clear mission: to help leaders and founders scale without losing their people or themselves.

No fluff. No performance. Just the stuff most of us won't say out loud.

Hit follow and get ready, new episodes are on their way.