Scale Her Up: Female business stories and expert tips for business growth and success

In today's episode, we have Nicole van Der Draaij. Nicole is the founder of Globemark, a business dedicated to helping other businesses increase their online presences through SEO optimization, and ECommerce strategy to increase digital sales. Her passion is helping business stand out among their competitors and get them to the top of google searches. Nicole grew up in a family of entrepreneurship so she's no stranger to starting her own business. Her adventurous spirit has led to her living all over the world. From starting her business in Argentina, to hiring her first freelancer in Indonesia, to now living in Scotland, the past 15 years have shaped Nicole's business journey. Today she has a team of over 12 freelancers and projects from all over the globe. On this episode of Scale Her Up, Nicole speaks about how to build networks no matter where you are, the importance of time Mangement, and the importance of saying no. 

On today's podcast, we have Angela De Souza. She's CEO of The Women's Business Club, a networking program that is in over 90 countries. Even though the name may seem limiting, The Women’s Business Club is multifaceted, with Angela’s goal to do business networking different than the traditional way. Beyond the networking club they also do training workshops, conferences, magazines, and even their own podcast. Today, Angela speaks about what brought her to this stage. How her multicultural upbringing shaped her worldview, how going to university is not always the path you should take, and how her diverse working history still impacts the way she conducts business today. She gives her advice to women entrepreneurs and business owners by talking about the importance of financial literacy, sharing her experience with investors, borrowing, taking out loans and bootstrapping. Angela wants to uplift our viewers and teach them that no matter when you start, you can still become a success. 

After being made redundant at 48, Lynne Hamilton felt lost. She had been working in banking for over 30 years and in her own words was ‘institutionalised”. Suddenly, she didn’t know what to do next. She decided to undergo a complete career change, and started working for a startup. While working quite closely with the entrepreneur who created it, her entire way of thinking was widened, and she loved the environment created. She was then inspired to start her own business, Planet Tasteful that mirrored her passion- Shopping. An online boutique clothing and accessory store, Planet Tasteful is all about being tasteful, stylish, and affordable. Lynne identified her own issues with online shopping and set out to fix them. Now a thriving business that regularly sells out, in today's episode Lynne speaks about her journey to this point, the importance of acknowledging you need help, and the unexpected challenges that appeared when starting her own company. 

In this episode, Brenda is joined by Zara Grant the multi award winning owner of Your Love Rara, a collection of businesses centered around promoting creativity in children. From being homeless in her teens to moving completely across the world, Zara believes in living a life with no regrets. When she started Your Love Rara Ltd it with 50 quid and a homemade costume, and she has now made it into a multifaceted company with over 20 employees. In today's podcast, Zara and Brenda speak about the challenges she has faced in running a business where people don’t take her seriously, the major impact COVID-19 had, and the importance of supporting small businesses in Aberdeen city center. Zara gets vulnerable and honest for our listeners and warns of the dangers of burnout and the importance of looking after yourself. It is an episode you won't want to miss! 

In today's episode Psychotherapist & Stress Management Coach, Nara Morrison joins Brenda Hector, to discuss impostor syndrome. From how to recognize it, to what may contribute it, and even some ways women and female entrepreneurs can combat it. Nara also speaks about what brought her into the psychology field, how she balances her personal life with her professional one and the advice she would give to her younger self. 

Born and bred in Aberdeen, Elaine is an expert is all things kitchen and remodeling. As an owner of John Willox Kitchen Design for over 10 years Elaine is well-versed and experienced in running a thriving business. In today episode, Elaine reflects on her journey to this point, the challenges COVID-19 brought to her business, and her advice to fellow business owners on how to shape their team ,and the key traits needed to create the perfect team. 

Rachel Mearns is the principal at the Aberdeen Academy of Performing Arts. She has a passion for dance and drama and has turned it into a successful full-time business. At her school not only does she teach a variety of ages but a variety of styles and disciplines. In today’s episode she shares her entrepreneurial journey from a roadside lemonade stand, to Young Enterprise at school, to then graduating with a Law degree and now running a thriving academy with over 400 pupils. Rachel and Brenda also discuss the current challenges facing businesses in Aberdeen city centre, the many hats business owners wear, and the 24/7 lifestyle you have as a business owner. 

It’s time to lay down the law. Today's episode features Stephanie Mann, A partner at Laurie & CO solicitors LLP. She specialises in all things property and estate law, helping people of all different backgrounds across Scotland. As a partner of an all-female partner firm, Stephanie speaks about the challenges she faced as a young female starting out in a generationally male field. She’s experienced all types of firms (big and small) and has been working since her first traineeship. Brenda and Her speak about the worries of managing your own business, her advice to the younger generations, and how she builds her perfect team. 

Today’s podcast is all about the money- specifically what women can do to plan for their finances. When Rhian Morgan started at Accumen Financial Planning in 2006, it was because she loved meeting and speaking to people within the financial sector. Nearly 20 years later she has risen through the ranks from paraplanner to financial advisor and is now a director at the company. In this episode, Rhiann and Brenda speak about what makes you want to stay at the same company for so long, the challenges she's faced as a woman in a male-dominated field, and the lessons she’s learned throughout her roles in the company. 

For the past 30 years Margeret has built her company Margeret Brown consulting, a leadership coaching business, from the ground up. After dropping out of university Margaret didn’t let that set her back, and instead threw herself into the workforce with zeal, she shortly found herself in sales- where her strong leadership and customer feedback allowed her to rise above the rest. After joining the business gateway program in the 90s, she created numerous courses focusing on sales strategy, effective leadership and personal growth. The course became nationally recognised, and gave her opportunities to coach businesses internationally and work with the Chamber of Commerce. On today's podcast Brenda and Margaret talk about what business coaching really is, challenges misconceptions around it, and how leaders can unlock their own awareness and scale their business up to a new level.