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

Stacy Edghill of Hibiscus Media and Events shares her top tips for using LinkedIn in business. Stacy gives some of her best advice from the highly successful LinkedWin training courses

Rosie Barron is a professional organiser and declutterer who homeschools her 4 children, looks after her 8 horses and runs her own business. In this episode we discuss the challenges of women in business and the synergies and similarities between coaching and decluttering.

Judith shares her journey from the heady days of girl power in the 90s to juggling motherhood and running her own £multi-million business

In this energising episode of Scale Her Up, Brenda is joined by former BBC TV presenter and award-winning speaker Penny Haslam. Penny is on a mission to help business owners “make themselves a little bit famous” so they can raise their profile, attract better opportunities and grow their businesses with more ease. 

Penny shares what she learned from years in broadcasting and how female founders can apply those lessons to become more visible – without feeling fake, pushy or like they’re constantly shouting about themselves. She and Brenda explore why visibility matters so much for women in business, how to get comfortable being seen, and simple ways to show up as the “go-to” person in your field. 

You’ll hear practical tips on using media, speaking and social content to build credibility, how to tell stories that stick, and what to do if you’re terrified of the spotlight. If you’ve ever worried that you’re “not interesting enough” or “not ready yet” to put yourself out there, this conversation will give you both the mindset boost and the toolkit to start getting a little bit famous in your own right.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why visibility is a business growth strategy, not a vanity project
• Penny’s journey from BBC TV to helping business owners raise their profile
• The difference between being famous and being “a little bit famous”
• Practical ways to increase your visibility without a huge budget
• How to pitch yourself and your story so people actually listen
• Handling imposter syndrome when you step into the spotlight
• Simple first steps to start raising your profile this month

Perfect for you if:

You’re a female founder or business leader who knows you need to be more visible but you’re not sure where to start – or you’ve been hiding a little and it’s time to step out from the shadows.

Claire shares what it was like working with her father and how she took over the business reins

A fascinating insight into medical research business

Nicki Young spotted an opportunity and built her business around it.

Building a multimillion-pound tourism enterprise — In this inspiring conversation, Freda Newton, owner of Loch Ness by Jacobite, shares how she transformed a small tour operator into one of Scotland’s best-loved attractions. We talk scaling a seasonal business, creating world-class visitor experiences, diversifying with new venues and products, leading through uncertainty, and putting people and place at the heart of growth. Practical, upbeat and full of lessons for founders in tourism and beyond.

You’ll learn

• How to scale a seasonal, weather-dependent business without losing service quality
• What “world-class” guest experience looks like in practice (and how to operationalise it)
• Smart diversification plays that deepen brand and revenue
• Freda’s leadership lessons from two decades at the helm

In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, I’m joined by Hannah Powell, Communications and HR Director at Perrywood Garden Centres, a multi-site family business she runs with her dad and two brothers. Hannah shares what it’s really like to work in – and help grow – a second-generation garden centre business, from being “the boss’s daughter” to sitting on the leadership team and steering major expansion.

Before returning to Perrywood, Hannah built a successful career in PR and marketing, running high-profile campaigns and helping to launch Global Entrepreneurship Week. But behind the polished CV was a different story: living in London, she experienced severe burnout and was later diagnosed with a Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). That health crisis sent her on a “green recovery” – turning back to nature and, eventually, back to the family business.

We talk about how nature became central to her healing and to her work, and how that journey led to her memoir “The Cactus Surgeon: Using Nature to Fix a Faulty Brain.” Hannah shares the lessons she’s brought into Perrywood around wellbeing, people-first culture, and creating workplaces that support mental health rather than erode it.

This is a warm, honest conversation about family business dynamics, leadership, recovery and redefining success when life doesn’t go to plan.

1. Hannah’s role as Communications and HR Director and how Perrywood has grown into a multi-site family garden centre business
2. What it’s like to run a business with your dad and brothers – boundaries, communication and keeping relationships strong
3. Hannah’s earlier career in PR and marketing and her work on national and global entrepreneurship campaigns
4. Burnout, Functional Neurological Disorder and the physical and emotional toll it took
5. How reconnecting with plants and nature became a crucial part of her “green recovery”
6. Why she decided to share her story publicly and eventually write The Cactus Surgeon
7. The power of nature and mindful moments for everyday mental health – even if you don’t have a big garden
8. Lessons she’s taken into leadership: pacing growth, looking after people and normalising conversations about wellbeing
9. The unique challenges and rewards of building a successful family business over the long term