Raise The Bar

Emmy Brunner is a psychotherapist and founder of The Recover Clinic.During her 20 years in the field, Emmy has discovered patterns in the ways women are conditioned to respond to trauma and life challenges. She believes that we’ve all experienced trauma in our lives and that ‘mental illness' is our response to trauma.In this episode, Emmy tells us that our patriarchal society and advertising culture bullies women, and we have to find ways to build inner strength and resilience, so as not to a...

Tiwalola Ogunlesi is a confidence coach, self-love activist and founder of Confident and Killing It, a purpose-driven organisation on a mission to make self-love and confidence the norm for women, not the exception.In this episode, Tiwa tells us that we are living through a self-worth pandemic, evidenced by the rising suicide rates in young women. We discuss why women struggle with their confidence and how to break the cycle of negative thoughts.I ask Tiwa about the difference between self-lo...

This podcast is the third and final part of our series ‘How Instagram Fostered Recession-Ready Scams, Dressed as Female Empowerment’. Read Part One: https://www.thewotpod.com/article/scams-dressed-female-empowermentRead Part Two: https://www.thewotpod.com/article/scams-dressed-female-empowerment-part-2This summer, influencer Sarah Akwisombe claimed to have made £1 million in a matter of months by selling business courses and coaching to fellow women via Instagram. Now, dozens are demanding re...

Sisters Gracie and Sophie Tyrrell are the founders of the award-winning snacking brand Squirrel Sisters.The business was launched in 2015 after Sophie was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition and became sensitive to gluten and sugar. Gracie made it her mission to create deliciously indulgent snacks that are 100% natural and free from gluten and added sugar for her sister to enjoy. In this episode, we talk about all things food startups and how to get from home kitchen to retail sh...

Fiona Thomas, a freelance writer, author and self-proclaimed introvert, experienced debilitating burnout. After receiving a diagnosis of depression in her mid-twenties, Fiona quit her job in hospitality leaving behind a career she had built for over a decade.In this episode Fiona candidly shares her experience of depression and anxiety, describing the moment it came to a head and how she was able to seek help and support. Fiona tells us how writing her first book; Depression In A Digital Age:...

My guest today is Lucy Aylen, founder and CEO of Never Fully Dressed.Starting life as a market stall, then a modest store in Essex, Never Fully Dressed has grown to become an Instagram sensation, with celebrity fans Beyonce, Kendall Jenner and Chrissy Teigen wearing Lucy’s designs.In this episode, Lucy tells us how she’s built Never Fully Dressed without outside investment, reinvesting profits from sales to grow organically. Lucy explains how her growing brand now has a public responsibility,...

My guest today is Yvonne Bajela, a founding member and principal at Impact X, an investment fund that unlocks capital for underrepresented entrepreneurs across Europe.Recognised by Forbes 30 under 30 in 2020, Yvonne was the youngest investment manager at Mitsui & Co. and led over $200 million in investments.In this episode, Yvonne tells us how she began her career in venture capital, networking consistently for two years to land a senior position, and how she managed imposter syndrome to ...

My guest today is Isabela Chick, Managing Director for Retail and Beauty at Founders Factory.Founders Factory is an investment fund, startup incubator and accelerator focused on delivering hands-on specialist support for founders. Isabela tells us what she looks for in founders and what makes a business a strong investment for Founders Factory. She shares her insights on co-founding teams and structuring equity and team composition to create a strong foundation for your business.Isabela also ...

My guest today is Miriam Emele, a woman who fights financial crime by day and runs her baking business Camie and Lily’s by night.I was introduced to Miriam by this week’s podcast sponsor Tide, and you can spot Miriam in their new TV campaign ‘Rise Entrepreneur’. Miriam launched Camie and Lily’s during the UK’s Covid-19 lockdown earlier this year having sat on her idea for almost a year beforehand. Miriam’s fear of failing manifested itself as procrastination, an experience that I know ma...

My guest today is the author of ‘Iconic Women of Colour’ and ‘How to Be Perfectly Imperfect’, Candi Williams.Candi and I connected back in June of this year amidst the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in the US and around the world. On that day Candi said to me “empathy is overwhelming and doesn’t help us to move forward. We need to move with our heads and our hearts”. By unfortunate coincidence, we recorded this podcast episode two months later and the day after the news of Jac...