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

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Nyasha Mangaba — managing director of Potters Healthcare Limited and co-founder, with her husband, of the Mani Group: a portfolio of businesses operating across Scotland, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia, and Mauritius.

I invited Nyasha to talk about Potters Healthcare. What I got was rather more than that.

In Scotland, Potters Healthcare and sister company Mighty Care provide social support and home care to nearly 500 elderly service users across the central belt — Stirling, Falkirk, Clackmannanshire, East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow and West Lothian. The Mani Group also operates in logistics, farming, beef supply, genetic cattle breeding, retail, and fast food across four African countries.

All of it started because Nyasha's daughter was born with a hole in the heart, and she needed something flexible enough to work around her baby's medical care.

We cover:

• What Potters Healthcare and Mighty Care do — and how they've grown from zero to 6,000 hours of care per week
• Nyasha's background as an occupational therapist and why that gave her a critical advantage with local authorities
• Being hands-on in the business for seven years — and why that was a deliberate choice
• International recruitment after COVID: going to Zimbabwe for staff, getting a sponsorship licence, and the unexpected responsibility of helping people integrate into Scottish life (tatties, messages, and driving on the left)
• Managing across HR, immigration law, care legislation, and five separate software systems
• Six consecutive years of Grade 5 from the Care Inspectorate
• The highs: being recognised in Tesco by families she once cared for, Christmas cards still arriving from families she worked with years ago
• Her book: Shattered Yet Standing — ten stories of women who made it despite everything
• Her PhD in women's entrepreneurship and public health
• The church teaching that planted the entrepreneurial seed: always have something else coming in

Quote of the episode: "Don't look at seven-figure businesses and think you can't build up to that. Start small and scale yourself up. That's what a good entrepreneur should do." — Nyasha Mangaba

If you want to hear what real scale looks like — built from a care visit at a time, with empathy at the centre — this is the episode.

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Ros Marshall — managing director and co-founder of Molke Limited, an ethical underwear brand manufactured in Scone, rural Perthshire, now shipping to 72 countries worldwide.

You might not have heard of Molke. You should have. They make comfortable, supportive, non-wired bras in a size range that runs from a 26 band to a 54 band, and up to a P cup. They've been going since 2016. They have a Facebook community of 12 to 13,000 members. And everything is made in Scotland.

And it all started because Kirsty — Ros's co-director and the original founder — designed a bra for herself, put a picture on Facebook, and within days was completely overwhelmed by people who wanted one.

We cover:

• What Molke is, who it's for, and why size inclusivity is at the heart of everything
• The origin story: cloth nappies, a council losing its funding, and a friendship that became a business
• Direct to customer: why Molke has kept 99.9% of its business that way — and what that means for customer service
• What Brexit has actually meant for a small Scottish manufacturer exporting to 72 countries
• COVID: how Molke was one of the businesses that found itself exactly where the moment needed
• What Ros has learned about herself over 10 years of business: adaptability, unflappability, and "there is always a road"
• Stepping back from her ex-husband's priorities in her 30s, and what 2016 meant for her sense of self
• Her mum: one of the first women to qualify as a stockbroker, working in a male-dominated industry in the 1980s
• Being a real living wage employer, endometriosis-friendly, menopause-aware, and a Neurodiversity in Business founding member
• "You spend most of your life working. It shouldn't be a place you hate."

Quote of the episode: "There is always a road. It's just taking the time." — Ros Marshall

Whether you make something physical, ship something across the world, or just want to hear from someone who has built something genuinely special in Scotland — this is a great one.

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Cecilia Grigor, director of Planitt Scotland Limited — a marketing partner (she doesn't like the word agency) based in Inverness, now in its 13th year, with 10 staff working fully remotely from across the UK.

Cecilia started the business by herself, in a single room at home, because she needed to be at the school gates at 4 o'clock. What started as a single mum doing "whatever needed done" for clients who didn't know what to do with their marketing has grown into a team spanning Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London.

She's also just turned 40. And she's starting to think about what the next 13 years look like.

We cover:

• What Planit Scotland actually does and why Cecilia refuses to call it an agency
• Marketing then vs now: jack of all trades, specialism, and now the AI era
• Setting guardrails for AI in a marketing business — and why she tells clients everything
• Building a remote team culture: Monday goal-setting calls, buddy calls, Friday wins, and the team member who's been to five Taylor Swift concerts
• Why COVID reduced her staff from five to one — and how she rebuilt, fully remote
• The Business Gateway graduate who changed everything
• Taking staff turnover personally — and why she stopped
• Coaching and accountability: the Entrepreneurial Spark programme, one-to-one coaching, and why accountability is the only bit that actually works
• Turning 40, stepping back, and why good leaders build teams that go further than they did
• "Are you gonna sink or are you gonna swim? I'm not sinking. I've worked too hard."

Quote of the episode: "Life's complicated enough. Let's just not make it harder." — Cecilia Grigor

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Dominique Dawson — director of Finnies the Jeweller in Aberdeen, and, as I realised partway through this conversation, the first third-generation female business owner I've ever interviewed in 170-plus episodes.

Dominique's grandparents founded Finnies. Her mum and uncle ran it. Now Dominique and her brother are the third generation. And next year, the business turns 70.

Her baby bouncer was installed in her grandfather's office.

She went on to get her graduate gemology qualification in London, spent four years as assistant manager at Chanel Fine Jewelry in Harrods, sold a £1.5 million set of jewelry to a customer who paid by card without blinking, and came home to modernise a business she'd grown up in.

We cover:

• What Finnies the Jeweller is and what makes it special
• What three generations of female leadership looks like from the inside
• What Dominique took from four years at Harrods — and one crucial thing she left behind
• Why she has never introduced commission or targets for any member of her team — and why she never will
• Coming home to modernise: the half-day Wednesday closure, the website, the online transactions, and the staff rota she rebuilt for 40 people
• The imposter syndrome of being the youngest person in the room with the most ideas
• What's next: the 70th anniversary, the renovation, new brands — and why she'll never open a second location
• Aberdeen city centre: what it needs, what Finnies is doing for it, and why she's more optimistic than the Aberdonians
• Why sleep is non-negotiable and gardening was a revelation
• "Sometimes they say the third generation destroys. I hope not."

Quote of the episode: "The only reason we will continue to succeed is you've got to look after people." — Dominique Dawson

If you run a family business, if you're trying to modernise something that's been done the same way for a long time, or if you just love a good Aberdeen story — this one's for you.

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Emma Hutton — a social justice leader with over 20 years of experience, and until March of this year, the Chief Executive of JustRight Scotland.

Emma left that role after burning out. She's sharing her story on this podcast for the same reason she wrote a long, honest article about it on LinkedIn: because she thinks she might have recognized the signs earlier if she'd seen someone else describe it first.

This is not a business episode in the usual sense. But if you lead anything — a business, a team, a department, yourself — this conversation has something in it for you.

We cover:

• Emma's career in social justice: what it looks like when there's no corporate graduate pathway to follow
• The structural challenges that made the CEO role uniquely hard: funding pressures, a polarized external environment, the isolation of being the one the buck stops with
• Why burnout doesn't arrive suddenly — the cyclical buildup, the warning signs ignored, and the four or five times she recovered and thought she could keep doing that
• The blood pressure test that changed everything
• What burnout actually feels like from the inside: the flat Sunday mornings, the frog-marched dog walk, the brain that stopped working beyond breakfast
• Her relapse prevention plan: four categories of warning signs, and what she's watching for
• What she'd say to someone who recognizes themselves in her description
• What she'd say to someone who can see the signs in somebody else
• The nervous system: what she's learned about the neuroscience of stress and why it's changed how she thinks about everything
• What's next — including the first draft of the novel she finished the morning of this recording

Quote of the episode: "Burnout happens to people who are very resilient — until they're not resilient anymore." — Emma Hutton

If you're listening to this and thinking "that sounds like me," this episode is for you. If you're listening and thinking "that sounds like someone I know," this episode is for them.

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Debbie Mitchell, director of Atholl Scott Financial Services — an independent financial planning firm in Aberdeen with a 60-year history behind it.

In September 1999, Debbie went into work as normal. By the time she went home, she was the director. Her boss and his wife had left without warning that Tuesday morning, and the CA firm partners called her to say she was now running things.

There were lots of tears. A significant amount of wine. Her sister drove to the office after work every night for admin. Her husband was in charge of pizzas and filing. And Debbie called every single client personally.

Twenty-five years later, she's sold the business, she's president-elect of the Chartered Insurance Institute, and she still gets imposter syndrome — though she's old enough now not to let it stop her.

We cover:

- What Atholl Scott Financial Services does and how it was built

- The September Tuesday morning that changed everything

- Why client loyalty belongs to the brand, not the person — and what that's worth

- Selling the business: why she took the lowest offer on the table

- The three Cs that mattered more than money: clients, colleagues, compliance

- Advice for anyone thinking about exit planning — start with what it looks like, not what it's worth

- What she's doing now: CII president 2027, performing arts charity chair, travel, and a very full life

- Why only 18% of financial planners are female — and why she thinks that's about to change

- Running the business with a papoose strapped to her front. Also caring for both parents. Also being the only woman in the room.

- The self-belief message she most wants to leave behind

**Quote of the episode:** *"Absolutely believe in yourself. You are so able, so capable, so brilliant. Self-belief is what's important."* — Debbie Mitchell

If you've ever wondered what it takes to build something, sell it well, and still have a full life on the other side — this is the episode for you.

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Leanne Ramage, Managing Director of Kudo Software — a renewable energy software company that helps manage projects and people across wind farms, solar farms, battery storage and pumped hydro.

Leanne didn't plan to lead a company. She didn't plan to stay in renewables after her PhD. She didn't plan for most of what's happened. What she did was take each opportunity that appeared in front of her — and that approach, combined with what she describes as an almost inconvenient stubbornness, has brought her here.

In 2023, she and her co-founders spun Kudo out of Natural Power Consultants, backed by the Fred Olsen Group. They launched with 20 people. They're now 25. And they're in year two of actually selling their product to market.

We cover:

- What Kudo Software does and which sectors it serves

- The spinout model: different from a startup in important ways — and harder in others

- What she'd do differently (smaller team, established product first)

- What she's learned about herself: stubbornness as a strength, and being annoyed at herself for not liking being uncomfortable

- The first rejection — getting to the final two and losing on referenceability

- Fred Olsen, 97-year-old blue sky thinker and unlikely early champion

- The day of graduation she turned down two good options to "play at being a scientist for a few more years"

- The juggle: retired parents on the school run, a husband who doesn't travel, and airport teddies

- Why women in STEM is still not changing — and the frustration that comes with not knowing how to fix it

- The playlist song: Cheerleader by OMI, and the reason it will always mean something

**Quote of the episode:** *"I don't think you should be worried about failure. All you're doing is making yourself more marketable."* — Leanne Ramage

If you're thinking about taking a big leap — or you're deep in year one or two and wondering if it's going to come good — this one's for you.

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by two guests: Alison Harper, founder of Harper Psychology, and Sara Huibregtse Van Loon, psychological therapist and the person Alison hopes to one day hand the practice to.

Harper Psychology — formerly Harper Clinical Psychology — is an Edinburgh-based private psychology practice that's been running for around 20 years. What started as a solo clinical psychologist practice grew to two during the first 10 years, and then, when COVID hit and the NHS couldn't keep up with demand, expanded to a team of six — including two therapy dogs.

One of those dogs, Paddy the one-eyed collie, features in one of the most moving stories I've ever heard on this show.

We cover:

- What Harper Psychology does and who it's for

- The difference between a clinical psychologist and a CBT therapist — and what clients should actually look for

- Why Alison went into private practice (school holidays, four children, and one very stubborn child who did not want to go to holiday club)

- How the practice grew from two to six — and the challenge of building a team in a field where client continuity is everything

- The mindset shift that stopped people leaving: valuing the CBT pathway as its own destination, not just a stepping stone

- The therapy dogs, and the story of a client who said it wasn't Alison who helped them most — it was Paddy

- The succession model: passing the baton rather than selling up, and why Alison wants the team to take it over and go further

- The mental health stigma that still exists in 2026 — and why Alison thinks mental health is no different from dental health or physical fitness

- What employers can do to genuinely support their teams' wellbeing

- Advice to their 18-year-old selves: believe in yourself, and don't worry if you don't have a plan yet

**Quote of the episode:** *"Mental health is like dental health is like physical fitness."* — Alison Harper

Whether you're thinking about growing your team, passing on your business, or just wondering why we still treat mental health differently from any other kind of health — this one's worth your time.

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Laura Weir, Managing Director of Direct Lettings — a letting agency based in Edinburgh and Dundee, now servicing much of the East Coast of Scotland and growing into the build-to-rent sector.

Laura joined Direct Lettings 14 years ago, was essentially told to "run with it," had four children while running the business, never really took maternity leave, and found emails coming from her account on the day she had a C-section. Two years ago she bought into the business and became MD.

This is a conversation about what it actually looks like to build something while also being a human — and the moment you realise you need to change.

We cover:

- What Direct Lettings does and how the business has grown on referrals alone

- The build-to-rent sector: what it is, why it's exciting, and why it's a hard slog

- Laura's career journey: from getting a job to keep her parents happy to becoming MD and co-owner

- What it's like to be a self-described control freak — the benefits and the cost

- The C-section email moment — and why she wouldn't do it now

- How she went from reactive and everything-myself to starting early, leaving at 3pm and taking Fridays off

- The "company Bible" — and why every process being documented changed everything

- Building a team of 11 across two offices and why culture has been non-negotiable

- Career development over pay rises — supporting staff through qualifications and internal moves

- What's next: the Borders market, more build-to-rent, and finally opening that office she's been talking about for four years

- Her advice for women in business: be kinder to yourself than she was

**Quote of the episode:** *"Be kinder to yourself than I've been."* — Laura Weir

If you've ever answered work emails when you absolutely shouldn't have — or if you're just wondering how to grow a business without losing yourself in the process — this one's for you.

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Gaynor Duthie, Managing Partner of Genoa Black — a strategy, brand and marketing consultancy with teams in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and now Los Angeles.

Gaynor joined Genoa Black on day three of its existence, worked for nothing in exchange for a promise of equity, became a partner in 2014, and has led the business to where it is today: 14 people, over 1,000 Scottish SMEs served, and an international expansion underway.Strategy, AI and the Advice That Unlocks Your Next Level | Gaynor Duthie | Scale HER Up

This is a conversation packed with honest reflections on leadership, growth, AI, boundaries and the advice that unlocked everything for Gaynor — early in her career, someone told her: "Don't do the job you've got. Do the job you want."

We cover:

- What Genoa Black does across its three divisions — strategy, brand and marketing — and why the order matters

- Why they never jump straight into marketing without brand clarity first

- How their strategy division was born out of COVID — and why it's now a core part of what they do

- The partnership model: how bringing in the right business partners transformed the business

- Gaynor's extraordinary journey from working for nothing on day three to managing partner

- The best piece of advice she ever received — "Don't do the job you've got, do the job you want"

- Why people management has always been the hardest part — and how she's learned to lead through conflict

- AI: embracing it without relying on it — and why emotional intelligence matters just as much as artificial intelligence

- Growth isn't just headcount — efficiency, profitability and culture all count

- The LA expansion: how a relationship with chef Curtis Stone opened the door

- Why she went almost 12 years without an out of office — and what changed

- "I didn't come this far to only come this far"

Quote of the episode: "Emotional intelligence is just as important as artificial intelligence." — Gaynor Duthie

If you're leading a business, thinking about your next step, or wondering how to keep growing without burning out — this one's for you.