This week we’re looking back over Season 2 of Lucy Loves. I hope you enjoy this episode of highlights including interviews with the extremely hard-working and incredibly talented fashion designer Savannah Miller, award-winning content creator Louise Boyce, one of Britain’s most influential disabled people Kelly Knox, Premiership rugby and European rugby championship winner Will Fraser, my dearest friend and jewellery designer Lindsay Hunter, London based artist Biba Smith, transformational life coach Lucy Higgins, specialist novelty cake designer Georgia Flower also known as Gigi’s Cakes and entrepreneur and founder of Matchstick Group, Max Parker.

Here are the highlights:

(01:04) Savannah Miller talks about her children and what she’s doing in 2022

(03:15) Louise Boyce discusses the challenges of creating social media content

(08:10) Kelly Knox explains where she thinks she gets her confidence from

(10:51) Will Fraser talks about the effect his younger brother has had on him and what his magical power would be

(14:49) Lindsay Hunter explains why she named her jewellery brand Hopetown & Hunter

(18:13) Biba Smith discusses how she got back into painting during lockdown

(21:37) Lucy Higgins reveals her proudest moments

(24:22) Georgia Flower talks about how she got into creating hyperreal cakes

(27:03) Max Parker talks about the tragic death of his good friend Joe Lyons and Joe’s Buddy Line

Find out more about Lucy and listen to more episodes at http://lucygourlay.com  

This week, I am joined by the founder of Matchstick Group, Max Parker. I was intrigued by Max’s story because he turned his life around, from being in the depths of despair and struggling from day to day to now running a thriving talent agency.

We talk about how Max started a talent agency, how the tragic death of his good friend Joe Lyons affected him deeply and how it was one of the driving forces behind him following his dreams. He also talks about his company’s ethos ‘people before profit’ and why it is so important to him, his team and his clients. We also discuss his future plans for his business and his inability to cook or relax!

Here are the highlights:

(02:22) Why he started a talent agency

(07:36) People before profit

(12:00) Joe’s Buddy Line

(19:00) Compliments Max has received

(22:10) The importance of finding the beauty in life

(25:06) What Max finds annoying about himself

(38:31) Max’s website

(39:14) What makes Max’s heart smile

Find out more about Lucy and listen to more episodes at http://lucygourlay.com  

This week, I’m a little bit over-excited about recording this episode, because not only is it in actual real life as opposed to Zoom, but it's a chat with one of my dearest friends, Lindsey Hunter, and we are both quite giggly. We're sat here having a coffee, but that's only because it's too early for a glass of wine and actually given what we are both like, that's probably a good idea.

Lindsey and I actually go a long way back when in a previous life, we both worked in the wedding industry. Both of our lives have had a huge change of direction, notwithstanding challenges along the way.

Lindsey is the founder and creator of the most fabulous jewellery business called Hopetown & Hunter. Not only is she one of the most naturally glamorous people I know, but she is clever, talented, creative, and she creates mischievous jewellery, which sums up Lindsey's charming personality. While I know Lindsey really well I wanted to share her brilliant business with the addition of a bit of Lindsey's gorgeousness with you.

Here are the highlights:

(02:17) The story behind the name Hopetown & Hunter

(04:00) What Lindsey’s jewellery looks like

(10:39) Lindsey’s proudest moment

(12:15) Favourite places to eat in Berwick

(14:14) Lindsey’s book recommendation

(20:43) Lindsey’s website and Instagram links

(21:35) What makes Lindsey’s heart smile

Lindsey’s book recommendations:

Narrow Dog to Indian River by Terry Darlington

Find out more about Lucy and listen to more episodes at http://lucygourlay.com  

As well as having a weekly podcast I'm also a life coach, which is actually a very broad term in the coaching world. Along my coaching journey, I've had the privilege of meeting, working with and interviewing a brilliantly diverse mix of coaches.

And this week's guest is no exception. Lucy Higgins not only has the most heartwarming smile, she is a transformational coach helping women thrive at home and work. Having suffered from anxiety all her life I really admire how she has used her own experience to not only transform her life but to help the lives of others.

Behind most people's smiles is a story and I'm so looking forward to hearing more about Lucy’s.

Here are the highlights:

(01:06) What Lucy Higgins is currently working on

(05:29) Lucy discusses patriarchal motherhood

(13:03) Lucy’s proudest moment

(17:04) Lucy talks about suffering from “mum guilt” around cooking for her children

(23:15) Lucy describes the books she enjoys reading

(26:04) The nicest compliment Lucy has received

(33:05) Lucy’s Instagram and website links

Lucy’s book recommendations:

The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Find out more about Lucy and listen to more episodes at http://lucygourlay.com  

Georgia Flower, otherwise known as Gigi’s Cakes, is an extremely clever and talented individual whose ambition is clear: to create the ultimate piece of edible theatre for your event.  

I discovered Gigi’s work after seeing it showcased on ‘egg&co’ ‘s Instagram page and was totally blown away. ‘Contemporary’ best describes her work but she is perhaps most well known for her speciality in hyperrealism; celebrating organic textures and vibrant colours, with proportions that give designs a clean, elegant look.  

Not only is Georgia a specialist novelty cake designer, but has also recently been introduced to her first child and has gone through the trials and tribulations of developing a new business through a pandemic so there is a lot more to her than meets the eye. 

Here are the highlights: 

(01:49) Moving house, baking cakes and having your first child 

(07:52) How Gigi got into novelty cake making 

(10:35) Dealing with her clients’ most challenging requests 

(13:06) Gigi’s best creations and the wedding industry picking up again 

(20:36) Keeping a note of all the compliments you’ve received 

(24:58) Being put down by her head teacher and how it motivated her  

(32:52) Where to find Gigi’s Cakes online 

Gigi’s book recommendations: 

Debbie Brown’s Party Cakes – Debbie Brown 

The Gruffalo – Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler 

Find out more about Lucy and listen to more episodes at http://lucygourlay.com  

In this episode I’m joined by the undeniably talented floral stylist Graeme Corbett. Graeme’s business ‘Bloom & Burn’ has flourished in recent years; leading him to move studio where he now teaches workshops and is in the process of creating his own cutting garden.  

I really admire people with a colourful and creative talent, yet I also understand the hard work and determination it takes to turn a passion into a business. This is most definitely the case with Graeme, as he has overcome many obstacles in his life and career to get where he is today – to the point where he now provides his creativity and designs for clients such as Jamie Oliver and National Geographic.  

There is so much more to Graeme than filling our Instagram feeds with beautiful floral designs and I’m thankful I got the chance to discover this for myself. 

Here are the highlights: 

(01:16) Setting up a cutting garden to support the use of local flowers 

(04:45) Moving from London to the countryside 

(07:19) How Graeme got into the flower industry and the style he’s created 

(13:46) Buying flowers for a florist and where ‘Bloom&Burn’ came from 

(15:39) The importance of Graeme’s relationship, being an anxious person and ways of managing stress 

(24:17) Reading ‘suburban misery’ and books that hold a special place in Graeme’s heart 

(29:06) Where he gets his inspiration from 

(35:10) Graeme’s Instagram and website links 

Graeme’s book recommendations: 

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata  Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs  Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding 

Find out more about Lucy and listen to more episodes at http://lucygourlay.com 

On this episode, I speak to Premiership rugby and European rugby championship winner Will Fraser. Since his retirement; Will has remained involved with his club: Saracens - and in 2020 set up ‘100 & First’: a programme born from the realisation of the power of incredible real-life experiences and how the learnings from them are applicable to any person or environment. 

Will is passionate about driving and creating change and brings with him 10 years’ experience of playing professional sport at the highest level with a successful transition into the business world. 

Devoted husband, father and family man with a generous heart; I feel very lucky to count Will as one of my friends and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him more in this podcast. 

Here are the highlights: 

(01:54) The story behind 100andfirst.com 

(05:59) Where the name came from 

(10:51) Will’s 3 proudest moments 

(13:16) Retirement from Rugby 

(14:54) Sweet, savoury and Will’s love for roasts 

(16:43) His brother’s response to injury and how that impacted his life 

(21:18) Book recommendations and series to watch 

(27:35) Where to find out more about 100andfirst.com 

Will’s book recommendations: 

Turn The Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers – David Marquet  

Find out more about Lucy and listen to more episodes at http://lucygourlay.com 

In this episode, I’m joined by Biba Smith, a London based artist with a love for colour whose work is a mix of expressionist, abstract and realism and has been displayed in famous art galleries such as The Boomer Gallery in London.  

I myself am a big fan of colour, creativity and imagination and I love powerful individuals who can help bring people’s dreams to life. This is what has often drawn me to Biba’s work. So much so that I recently bought a piece of her art for my partner’s Christmas present. 

It was such a pleasure to talk to the artist and delve deeper into the interests and experiences that have influenced her career. 

Here are the highlights: 

(01:21) How Biba got into painting 

(03:57) Failed experiments and kids’ drawings 

(07:26) What’s going on in the world of Biba Smith 

(13:45) The challenges of being a vegetarian 

(16:41) The impact that teachers can have in our lives 

(23:07) Travel plans for the future 

Biba’s book recommendations: 

Bigger than us: The power of finding meaning in a messy world – Fearne Cotton 

Find out more about Lucy and listen to more episodes at http://lucygourlay.com   

Savannah Miller, who’s determination to create elevated clothes that have a point of difference has led to admirable success in the fashion industry; releasing popular clothing collections for retail stores such as NEXT and Debenhams. 

Not only does Savannah create clothes for large companies, she also designs wedding dresses as well as ‘most importantly’ in her own words being a mother of three. 

I was lucky enough to hear a number of stories about what makes her tick and the important factors that have contributed towards her impressive, long-standing career. 

Here are the highlights: 

(03:15) Marriage plans 

(04:52) Jude Law attending her wedding and how it kickstarted her career 

(07:47) The process of creating bespoke dresses 

(11:40) The motivations behind Savannah’s fashion ranges 

(14:02) Why cooking is an ‘anchor’ for mums in family life 

(18:59) Savannah’s best reads 

Savannah’s book recommendations: 

Beautiful world, where are you? – Sally Rooney 

Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine – Gail Honeyman 

Find out more about Lucy and listen to more episodes at http://lucygourlay.com   

In this week’s episode I’m joined by one of Britain’s most influential disabled people who devotes herself to motivating and inspiring future generations. Kelly Knox has featured on several campaigns with large corporations such as Primark, as well as using her online presence to encourage people to embrace their uniqueness by celebrating her body in a way which encourages others to do the same. 

Kelly has my full admiration and respect as she is an individual who embodies resilience in the face of adversity, as well as being a hard-working and determined mother of two. 

With such a number of successful campaigns that have inspired thousands under her belt, I’m excited to find out what motivates Kelly to be the role model she is. 

Here are the highlights 

(02:36) The importance of representing disabled people 

(06:58) Celebrating our differences on social media 

(09:17) Kelly’s upbringing and how it’s shaped her confidence 

(13:03) The impact of her campaigns 

(17:44) Wanting to be a witch when growing up 

(22:53) Her love for Rick Mayall and 90s Leonardo DiCaprio 

(25:19) Kelly’s plans for 2022 

Find out more about Lucy and listen to more episodes at http://lucygourlay.com