She can. She did.

If you're thinking about launching your own fashion label and/or any creative product-based business for that matter, this interview with Sarah Birchall, Founder of Cub & Pudding is well worth a listen.

Having spent ten years working as a PA for the Head of a bank in the City, a chance encounter with a life coach forced Sarah to revaluate her career and work out what truly brought her joy... As a Mum who took great pleasure in dressing her children, not before long, the idea for Cub & Pudding was born - quirky, gender neutral kids wear that defies seasonal trends and can be worn all year round. Genius.

We chat about everything from how she transitioned from her full time role as a PA in the City and made the most of the blank canvas that came hand-in-hand with working on the business full time. The reality of how she funded Cub & Pudding in the early days given that sourcing materials, minimum orders and factory visits all add up as well as the steps she took to ensure that her items are ethically made. Plus of course, the impact Covid and the increased time spent online had on Cub & Pudding, why she actively chooses to invest in those that will hold her to account and how she got over her fear of selling.... There are so many pearls of wisdom in this one. This is Sarah's honest story so far... Enjoy!

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for all female business owners in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now to get free Vala health cover: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Cub & Pudding @cubandpudding

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I can safely say that this week's guest is one of the most genuine and kind women that I've had the pleasure of getting to know over the past couple of years. The lady in question is Kat Horrocks, the make-up artist turned life coach that I met for the first time when I took the She can. She did. Midweek Mingles up to Manchester in 2018, who empowers women to achieve their goals and put themselves first.

From how she combatted the fear of transitioning from the make-up business that she ran for the four years prior to becoming a coach and how she went about battling off the imposter syndrome and not so supportive opinions of others that came hand-in-hand with that transition; how she held her nerve and continued to show up when the money wasn't always there in the early days; to her thoughts on the integrity of the online coaching space, given that it's not regulated and anyone can claim to be an expert in anything and everything online; this is Kat's very honest story so far... 

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for all female business owners in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now to get free Vala health cover: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Kat Horrocks @kat_horrocks

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I know I shouldn't have favourites but bloody hell this was a good chat!

A few weeks back, I got to sit down and natter (over Zoom of course) with the Brighton-based Queen of Self care that is Donna Hay - a woman that I've known and admired since very early on in She can. She did.'s story who happens to be the Founder of WILDWOMAN, the UK’s first non-fiction, book subscription box for women.

From her thoughts on the dangers of the #girlboss overnight success culture and how it led her to set unobtainable goals for Wildwoman's launch; why she's recently made the decision to switch off all paid advertising and how she held her ground when those closest to her challenged her pricing strategy early on; to why she likens her business journey to that of being on a log flume, not a rollercoaster... this chat with Donna came at the right time for me personally and is an interview that I will be referring to, countless times from now on, I'm sure. Enjoy!

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for all female business owners in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now to get free Vala health cover: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

WILDWOMAN @wearewildwoman

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Blaqbase is the shopping app Founded by Benedicta Banga, that supports black owned businesses in the UK by bringing high quality black owned products together and allowing customers to buy them via Blaqbase directly. Having launched on black pound day in June and gained extensive press coverage from the likes of Stylist, Marie Claire, Sky News and the BBC thereafter, I chatted to Benedicta a few weeks ago to discuss her self-funded business journey so far... and the numerous iterations, tweaks and testing that has gone on behind the scenes!

From how she built the app without developers and learnt to embrace the curveballs and opportunities that running a business can throw your way; why she's so passionate about reminding people that the only reality we can truly trust online is our own; to her advice on dealing with online abuse having experienced it herself in the aftermath of an interview on Sky news, Benedicta's story is yet another example of what truly goes on behind the scenes to launch and grow a sustainable business and for that reason, I couldn't have loved recording it more!

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for all female business owners in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now to get free Vala health cover: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Blaqbase @blaqbaseapp

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's hard enough launching a business in your home country as it is but add language and cultural barriers into the mix and as I'm sure you'll soon hear, it becomes a whole lot tougher...  

I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but I knew from the moment I saw DAYE's branding that there would be a seriously savvy Founder behind it ... and 26 year old Valentina Milanova didn't disappoint.

Having moved to the UK from Bulgaria to launch DAYE - the female health research and development company best known for its organic and CBD infused tampons - Valentina has pushed through an immense number of challenges to bring her vision for DAYE to life.

From convincing her friends to test homemade tampons in the early days and the lengthy steps she took to ensure that DAYE exceeds manufacturing standards thereafter; to the painful journey she endured to secure investment - quite literally at one point - to the challenges she's faced navigating British culture, not just on professional level but a personal one too, this is Valentina's (bloody amazing... no pun intended..!) story so far.

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for all female business owners in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now to get free Vala health cover: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

DAYE @meetdaye

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A few weeks back, I sat down for a chat with the breathe of fresh air that is Kaew Suppamas, Founder of the (v. cool) terranium company that is Leafage. Via their DIY kits and team building workshops, together with her team, Kaew is on a mission to help us all connect with nature and importantly, live in the moment... which let's face it, sounds like something we all need right about now!

Having once upon a time been told that she was "too much of a dreamer" to ever run a business successfully, given the fact that Kaew now counts the likes of Facebook, Nike, Slack and Asos as customers, it's safe to say that she's proved them wrong! This is Kaew's story so far...

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for all female business owners in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now to get free Vala health cover: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Leafage @weareleafage

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TRIGGER WARNING: Please note that we speak about Anna and Co-Founder Billie's shared history of sexual assault at various points throughout this conversation.

I'm inspired by every single woman that I've interviewed on this podcast but there are some stories that definitely stand out and this episode with Anna Hushlak is one of them. 

As the Co-Founder of Ferly - the audio guide to mindful sex that is on a mission to support and empower woman and folx with vulvas to improve their sexual wellbeing - Anna sat down to chat with me a few weeks back about the evolution of hers and Co-Founder Billie's business journey so far.

From how they went about really understanding the universal problem at hand and their problem-first approach to all business decisions and research thereafter; how they have handled numerous cynical comments since entering the space and their advice for all of us on how best to hold our nerve in those conversations; to how Billie and Anna's relationship has evolved since day one and why being the Co-Founder of Ferly has provided Anna with a powerful filtering method when dating (LOVED this bit!); she's one incredibly strong woman - they both are in fact - so I hope that you find their story be as empowering as I did. 

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for self-employed womxn in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Ferly @weareferly

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you, like me, get abnormal amounts of pleasure from roaming the aisles of Homesense and dreaming about designing your ideal home (just me!?) this week's guests are right up your street! Why? Because they're the incredibly talented duo behind Wells and Maguire -  the high end interior design studio covering London, Wales and the South of England that Emily and Danielle set up after becoming frustrated by agency life.

Specialising in bespoke interiors for private clients and developers at some seriously swoon worthy town houses and mansions - if you want some dreamy interior inspo FYI, I would highly recommend looking at the Wells and Maguire portfolio - I caught up with Emily and Danielle a few weeks back to discuss what the realities of running an interior design business look and feel like behind the scenes.

From how they've dealt with not-so-supportive comments and actions from former acquaintances and their advice should you find yourself in a similar position; how they handle the jobs that don't quite go to plan to ensure that their reputation and high standards are always upheld; to how their partnership really came into its own when Emily suffered a devastating loss in her personal life, their honesty throughout this chat is what She can. She did. is all about and for that reason, I hope it provides you with a whole lot of comfort and inspiration, should you need it, going forward...

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for self-employed womxn in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Wells and Maguire @wellsandmaguire

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This week, the spotlight falls on Sukhi Jutla, Co-Founder of the"uber for the gold and diamond industry" that is MarketOrders - an award-winning B2B platform that she launched four years ago, that enables independent retail jewellers to buy gold and diamond jewellery directly, securely and seamlessly from international suppliers, using blockchain technology. 

A process, which I of course ask Sukhi to breakdown for me in layman's terms!

Having won numerous awards including Asian Women of Achievement, Female Entrepreneur of The Year and named a Top 100 European Digital Pioneer by The Financial Times and Google, not to mention revolutionising a previously old fashioned and often corrupted industry; the former investment banker-turned-entrepreneur sat down to chat with me a few weeks ago about the realities that she's faced behind the scenes in her business journey so far.

From how she's learnt en route how to block out unsolicited advice and trust her own judgement when it comes to decision making, why she opted to sell her handbag collection to save money in the early days; to why Ben & Jerry's came in handy when she realised that she needed to walk away from £250k; to this is Sukhi's story so far!

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for self-employed womxn in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

MarketOrders @market_orders

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's not everyday that you hear of Great British athletes trading gruelling training regimes in for the world of app design and entrepreneurship but that's what Kike Oniwinde did when she left the world of javelin behind and launched BYP Network in 2016 - A platform that empowers black professionals around the world to connect with each other and global corporations.

Often dubbed  'the LinkedIn for black professionals', the platform has gone on to win a whole host of awards over the past four years, Kike has earned herself a place on the prestigious Forbes '30 under 30' list and led the company through a successful crowdfunding raise in the midst of a pandemic that saw the platform successfully secure more than £800,000 from over 1100 investors on Seedrs.

Pretty impressive, right!?

From how she's learnt to sieve through advice and follow her gut instinct having been easily swayed by others' opinions in the early days; how she successfully infiltrated the right business ecosystems to grow the right network that supported her through the company's various stages of growth; to why she's happy to shine a spotlight on the negative stats about black female entrepreneurs but refuses to let said stats affect her progress; this is Kike's INCREDIBLE story so far...

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for self-employed womxn in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Kike Oniwinde @kikeoniwinde

BYP Network @bypnetwork

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.