PR Not BS

My guest today has already been on my podcast. His episode has been my most popular one so far and I couldn’t wait to have him back for an update.

The last time Mike Rees spoke to me, he was standing (for the third time) as an independent candidate in the election for the Police and Crime Commissioner of Wiltshire. Sadly, Mike didn’t win, but came third, behind the labour and conservative party.

We talk a lot about the world of politics and how the outcome is stacked against you in so many ways when you are an independent, and particularly how underhand things are. Sadly, Mike’s passion, qualities and qualifications were completely wasted on the people of Wiltshire who didn’t seem to understand what the PPC is; plus the timing of the election wasn’t good because it was the council elections at the same time.

Mike joined the police service at 18 and shares the very varied career path he then followed. We talk about some of the cases that have stayed with him long after leaving the force.

The issues that still need addressing in the police is something else we discuss, and Mike has strong views as to why some of these things still haven’t been dealt with.

Mike shares what his other passions are in life; running a children’s cancer charity and boxing, which he participated in for years, winning many competitions. He explains how boxing helps people to gain some discipline. 

And he talks about the business he runs now – a forensics cleaning business - and you probably need to ensure you’re not eating when he talks about it!

To contact Mike:
Website: http://www.forensiclean.co.uk/
Charity Website: fatboyscharity.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-rees-6823441b/overlay/contact-info/

If you would like to contact me, you can visit my www.Scottmedia.uk or join my free Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/prtribe

My guest today is friend and client, Kate Usher who has recently published a new book.

Kate works with organisations, companies and businesses to have modern conversations about the menopause. Why? Because too many women end up leaving jobs when they hit the menopause, because they are misunderstood or can’t cope with the symptoms, which can be different for everyone.

She shares how after being made redundant in 2008 from a 20 -year career in corporate, then on maternity leave following which she started up a career as a coach. However, she started to experience a whole range of symptoms and had no idea what they were – until her first hot flush. This led her to start working with individuals about the menopause.

Kate explains how she began to talk to people, to encourage them to have conversations, because we all either directly or indirectly know someone who is going through this phase of life.

We talk about how it is closely linked to social perceptions of age, and what it means to women.

And importantly, for large organisations and companies it is a financial issue, because they can lose 10% of their most talented people – so Kate helps them understand how they can support women.  

Lastly, Kate talks about the book that she has published with her husband Neil – “A Couple’s Guide to Menopause”. They write about the experience of going through this as a couple and how they can support each other. 

Everyone needs to listen to this podcast, because there is no getting away from the fact that all of us will know someone who is going through the menopause!  You might learn something new…

To contact Kate:
Website: https://menopauseinbusiness.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateushermenopause/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateusher/ 

If you would like to contact me, you can visit my www.Scottmedia.uk or join my free Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/prtribe

Today’s guest is someone I used to work with and haven’t seen for several years, and as you’ll hear we had a wonderful time catching up. 

Nat Low and I met when we worked at ITV and were making documentaries, then lost touch. 

He has now recently launched a new business, although remaining working in factual video and TV, he is also moving towards the world of PR, and his brother Toby is joining him.  

We discuss the huge changes that have come about in the world of TV, documentaries and the many different streaming services that are available. 

In his business, he works with a small number of high value clients, and he now is looking to grow that number of clients but is also looking to provide something of value. 

Although already working with some FTSE 100 companies, the business wants to grow the number of those clients. They create films for companies to tell the stories of their results – which may sound like a difficult subject to make interesting. However, Nat explains how his company can create engaging films that can be used in-house, or even as documentaries.  BAE Systems and HSBC bank are among his corporate clients. 

He shares an example of how something seemingly very mundane became incredible and was even taken up and developed into an episode of Panorama – this was only possible because the client was happy to take a risk and trusted Nat. 

The subject of AI comes up, and you might be both surprised and fascinated to hear how Nat and his team make use of it. 

To contact Nat visit his website: https://www.Capital-stories.com 

If you would like to contact me, you can visit my www.Scottmedia.uk or join my free Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/prtribe 

Today’s guest is full of fascinating stories, and I know you’re going to enjoy this podcast!

Jane is a correspondent for Business Insider, who lives just outside New York City and works from home. Originally from the UK, she has worked in the US for 19 years. 

Business Insider is an online media outlet that as its name suggests focuses on tech and finance. However, there is a division called Insider Life, which is where Jane works. She focuses on real life; human interest stories, but, because much of the audience of Business Insider are people who are high achievers and go-getters, they are looking for stories that are going to help them through their life and work - stories where they can learn, be inspired or take away a message. 

Jane has always wanted to work in journalism, most likely because her dad was a journalist – an editor, in Darlington in the northeast of England. There was never really anything else on her radar. When she finished university, after a short stint working in PR, she got a job in a local newspaper. From there she moved up, and because of having lived with her journalist dad, she knew how the business worked, she moved through several jobs and crossed off the stuff she needed to pass the modules to become a qualified Westminster Press journalist (exactly the same training as me!)  

As you’ll hear, Jane has had a fascinating career working in different areas of the country and with different news outlets, including Bella magazine at one point.  But as you’ll hear, what she loved most was being there for breaking news; covering stories and events as they happened. 

We talk about the time she worked with Piers Morgan – which is extremely interesting – hearing from someone who has worked with him.  

Jane talks about the travelling she has done too before she was asked to go and work on a relaunch of the National Inquirer, based in the US. And of course, she jumped at the opportunity. 

Jane shares some funny, crazy and sad stories that she’s written about during her career.   

I know you’ll be looking forward to her coming on as a guest in the future. 

To contact Jane: 

Twitter: https://x.com/JaneRidleyNY 

Business Insider:  https://www.businessinsider.com/  - search Jane Ridley to see everything she’s written! 

If you would like to contact me, you can visit my www.Scottmedia.uk or join my free Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/prtribe 

My guest today is someone I know well, and who I work with – the wonderful, Dave Southby. 

Dave is a financial adviser. Many of people aren’t too sure what they do, but Dave’s short definition is, ‘helping people plan for their financial future’. However, he’s what I’d call a ‘dream maker’ – and you’ll hear why during our conversation.  

He has been in business for three years and loves what he does. Particularly, he enjoys having conversations with people and encouraging them to do the things they want to do while planning a financially secure future.  

We have a conversation about Dave’s journey from working in the motor trade, before retraining as a financial advisor, and why that role actually helped him recognise what he enjoyed, what his strengths are, and what he wanted to do in life. 

We also talk about networking, and Dave quite rightly points out how important and how helpful it is for small business owners, especially when starting out. When you are in an employed role, you generally don’t get the opportunity to meet other business owners or the breadth of businesses that you do when you network.  

The growth of his business is important to him, for many different reasons; wanting to develop what his business offers in the community; wanting to take on new staff to help out with the parts of business he doesn’t enjoy; wanting to meet the demand. 

Community and charity are two things that you’ll hear us speak about in some depth, as both are very important to Dave in his life and business. 

Dave’s passion for his business shines through in our conversation – he isn’t your normal financial guy! 

To contact Dave: 

Website: https://www.davesouthbyfp.co.uk/ 

Email: [email protected] 

If you would like to contact me, you can visit my website at www.Scottmedia.uk or join my free Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/prtribe 

I have a lot of synergy with today’s guest, Carol Driver as she is also a journalist. She has been in the industry for 25 years, is now freelance, but has had a number of very interesting jobs. 

She became an editor at quite a young age working with local newspapers - with huge responsibility - she then progressed in the industry to work with national papers, such as the Daily Mail; MailOnline as travel editor; working on UK News; as editorial direct of a group of magazines then full circle, back to MailOnline as editor of Femail.

She talks about the importance of connecting with readers through stories, and how it is vital to understand the multi-dimensional elements of someone; readers need to be able to engage and resonate with their personal backgrounds too.

The birth of her child was the driver to become freelance and we talk about how that was a hard decision but now it is something she embraces and loves.  And how after working with many women wanting to share their stories but no idea where to go, she set up a company called Make the Headlines to help those women do exactly that..

We talk about the changes in journalism and how collaboration is important in that world and in the world of PR.  How we can support each other in helping our clients to get their stories out into the world. 

She shares tips about what makes a good national story and what doesn’t, and how to ensure you are doing the best you can to promote the coverage you are getting and how useful it is to look for awareness days that are linked to you or your business.

To contact Carol:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.driver.796

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/carol_driver_/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroldriver/

If you would like to contact me, you can visit my www.Scottmedia.uk or join my free Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/prtribe

My guest today is someone who belongs to the same coaching group as me. Rachel Haith is the owner of Inspired Life Group and she’s a coach, speaker and health and, in her own words, a well-being nut.

As part of her resettlement training when leaving the RAF, Rachel chose to do a professional coaching diploma, initially as a personal development tool, but quickly realised it was something that she loved and what she wanted to do – and she still loves it!

Rachel explains how she loves helping people to realise their own potential – to see that they can be more and do more than they think.  She also talks about the different needs people have for coaching and how people use coaches for a variety of reasons, and even in different ways. And as she shares in one example, the problem often isn’t why they initially visit her.

She talks about the transferable skills that she took from her time in the RAF and how they were incredibly useful. But she also found that there were things about being self-employed that came as a culture shock – particularly, leaving a very structured environment to one where you have to do everything and anything.

Another big change after leaving the RAF was needing to be visible in her new role- something she had never had to consider previously. However, she has embraced this and is now very visible on social media as well as running a podcast with a friend, called the Renny Show – a fortnightly dose of honesty and positivity.

To contact Rachel:
Website: https://www.inspiredlifegroup.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inspiredlifegroup
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/rachelhaithcoach/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-haith/

 If you would like to contact me, you can visit my www.Scottmedia.uk or join my free Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/prtribe

I’m particularly pleased to introduce my guest today – PR Maven, Helen Neal of HN Communications, a communications agency specialising in climate and sustainability. 

Helen is passionate about this subject; an area she has been working in for around 7 years. She shares very useful tips and ideas for small businesses about how you can become more sustainable and care for the planet. And she explains how you can commit to becoming a B Corp – a benefit corporation - even as a small business or solopreneur.  

She talks about monitoring your carbon impact and explains how you can track this, linking it to your Xero or QuickBooks so that you know exactly where and what you are spending, making conscious decisions about where your money goes.

Helen explains very clearly how and why the way PR and communications have been done in the past doesn’t necessarily work when talking and communicating about sustainability in business; it shouldn’t be the same approach.  It’s far more about the actions you are taking – not what you’re going to do or what it looks like. It’s also about traceability and being specific so you can track what you are doing back to the source and showing accountability.

Like me, Helen didn’t choose to run her own business, and she talks about how she built a career and was also able to be the mum that she wanted to be.

If you want to know more about how you can make your business more sustainable, listening to this podcast is a must!

To contact Helen:

Website:  https://www.hncomms.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-neal-02261129/

If you would like to contact me, you can visit my www.Scottmedia.uk or join my free Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/prtribe

Today my visitor isn’t even in the same country as me! I’m talking to Jaz Goven who is based in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Jaz is a therapist who has created a programme to support people to make change- ‘Fast Track Technique, and she tells me all about how it works, and how it came about.  Pre-Covid she regularly used to travel the world to give workshops, but now does most of her work online, or locally. But she now also has seven other trainers around the world who train people.

Jaz also tells me about how she left England on a holiday and knew from that moment, she wanted to live somewhere different.  And she also talks about what she did before becoming a therapist – and how having gone through change herself, she wanted to help others do the same. She particularly loves empowering others to become the person they want to be.

We talk about the world of networking and how important it is, with Jaz sharing some of the ones she particularly loves. And, how it can be much harder networking in Thailand, due to language barriers.

At 72, the ‘r’ word – retirement doesn’t come into her vocabulary, and we talk about why.

To contact Jaz:

Websites: https://www.fasttracktechnique.com/

https://www.magical-u.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasttracktechnique

If you would like to contact me, you can visit my www.Scottmedia.uk or join my free Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/prtribe

Today’s guest is a someone I know really well, and loved interviewing and I found out lots of things I didn’t know – a 17-year-old teenager. 

We talk about what it’s like living with a parent who runs their own business and how it impacted on them.  

They share how at primary school, they did their own junior Dragon’s Den – along with other schools to compete to create a product and with a business plan – something quite hard to do at that young age. Their group won, because rather than just draw some ideas, they did surveys and had a strong business plan, and this teenager was chosen as the MD.  

The teenager talks about how their love of drama grew, and how over time they’ve embraced the fact that they want to be a performer – particularly after encouragement from teachers, telling them they could sing!  Now they’re studying Performing Arts and thoroughly enjoying it. 

They tell me about how they’ve learned that not always getting the biggest role in the show doesn’t mean you’re wasting your time, and that has influenced their thinking with other decisions around auditions. 

We talk about how working in the performing arts – YOU are the product and how important PR is, and how you go about it in this business. They share their favourite musicals and particular songs, and then about how being a performer is what they want to be doing for their future career. 

At present they have two jobs – one working in a café in Swindon and the other, a performing job, where they go to live events and parties as heroic characters, and they share some of the characters they’ve had to portray. 

We end with a fun Q & A, with me asking them if they know what some of the old gadgets from the past are and we even talk emojis.  

If you would like to contact me, you can visit my www.Scottmedia.uk or join my free Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/prtribe