The Business of You

Claire is joined by Katie Raithby-Veall, head of consultancy at Human Alchemy, to explore the edge of leadership and what it really means to lead yourself. From Katie's 16 years as an RAF officer to her work helping organisations build self-awareness and clarity, this episode is a deep dive into how business owners can develop the self-leadership, adaptability, and resilience needed to navigate uncertainty with confidence and purpose.

In this episode:

• What leadership means now vs. how it starts out.

• Transactional vs. transformational leadership.

• Why situational leadership matters more than a checklist.

• Can you be a leader without a team?

• Self-awareness, humility, and curiosity as leadership foundations.

• Failure as data, not character assassination.

• The edge of not being everybody's best friend.

• Finding what you don't want to clarify what you do.

• Discipline vs. alignment: finding your line.

• The CHILL framework: Critically think, Help yourself, Inner voice, Let go of control, Leverage what you have.

• Controlling the controllables and turning frustration into fuel.

• Indecision is a decision.

• What separates people who take ownership from those who wait.

  
  

Connect with Katie:

LinkedIn: Katie Raithby-Veall

Instagram: @heritagepunchneedle

Connect with Claire:

LinkedIn: Claire Lockey

Instagram: @clairelockeycoaching

Claire is joined by Laurey Buckland, book developer and editorial partner for female coaches, consultants and creatives, to explore the edge of finding your voice. From understanding why we sand off our edges to fit in, to why AI has raised the floor but not the bar, this episode is a deep dive into how business owners can stop hiding behind other people's voices and start expressing their expertise with confidence, authenticity and purpose.

In this episode:

• Why we sand off our edges to fit in, and how to stop.

• Losing your voice vs never having found it.

• AI has raised the floor but not the bar.

• Why podcasts are the truest test of expertise.

• Reframing the word "expert" so it works for you.

• Starting with what you don't want to define what you do.

• Storytelling as a business tool: your story vs your client's.

• Why we connect with flaws, not perfection.

• Measured vulnerability: sharing enough without oversharing.

• Legacy as custodianship: your ideas aren't yours to keep.

• Three tips: your origin story, your North Star, and your values.

  
  

Connect with Laurey:

LinkedIn: Laurey Buckland

Instagram: @laurey_storyled

Connect with Claire:

LinkedIn: Claire Lockey

Instagram: @clairelockeycoaching

Claire is joined by Katrina Pierce, Head of Area for Greater Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire at the Federation of Small Businesses, to explore the edge of influence. From building trust and credibility to bringing evidence instead of vibes, this episode is a deep dive into how everyday business owners can shape conversations, build relationships, and create meaningful change without a big title or a political career.

In this episode:

• The three pillars of influence: trust, visibility, and authenticity.

• Evidence over vibes: why stats and case studies are what actually tip the balance.

• Building reputation over building noise. Being visible isn't the same as being chosen.

• The difference between complaining and genuinely influencing change.

• Owning your niche: why being the expert in one tightly defined thing beats being a generalist.

• What small business owners get wrong about influence, and why keeping to yourself gets you nowhere.

  
  

Connect with Katrina:

LinkedIn: Katrina Pierce

Connect with Claire:

LinkedIn: Claire Lockey

Instagram: @clairelockeycoaching

Claire explores the edge of potential and why nearly every person she's met in 18 years of careers work has been underestimating themselves. From rethinking talent and soft skills to creating your own opportunities and understanding the difference between confidence and self-esteem, this episode is a deep dive into unlocking what you already have.

In this episode: 

• Why talent is overrated and soft skills are the real key to success.

• Creating your own opportunities (you have to serve first).

• Introvert or shy? The solar panel vs. battery analogy.

• Finding flow: the skills vs. challenge axis.

• The critical difference between confidence and self-esteem.

• Practical steps: skills audit, evidence bank, and following your curiosity.

  
  

Connect with Claire:

Linkedin: Claire Lockey

Instagram: @clairelockeycoaching

Claire is joined by Angeline Hennessey-Thompson, psychotherapist, author and founder of the Living Without Limits podcast. Together they explore the psychology of change: why we self-sabotage, why growth feels so uncomfortable, and how to navigate the gap between who you are now and who you're becoming. From the safety of the familiar to the power of integrity-based business, this episode is a deep dive into what it really takes to create lasting change.

In this episode:

• Why we gravitate towards the familiar, even when it's not serving us.

• Self-sabotage as a subconscious safety behaviour (and how to recognise it).

• The difference between comfort and truly being comfortable.

• Why growth requires looking inward, not outward.

• Integrity-based power: building a business from experience, not trends.

• Angeline's six pillars framework for resilience and change.

• Lasting change vs. temporary motivation: playing the long game.

  
  

Connect with Angeline:

LinkedIn: Angeline Hennessy-Thompson

Instagram: @angelinehennessythompson

Connect with Claire:

LinkedIn: Claire Lockey

Instagram: @clairelockeycoaching

Claire is joined by Helen Thacker, business mentor and positioning expert who helps women become the obvious choice in their industry, to explore what it really takes to stand out and why being great at what you do is only half the battle.

In this episode: 

• Why being great at what you do is not enough to get chosen.

• The difference between being good at your work and being known for it.

• What "being the obvious choice" actually means (and why it has nothing to do with being the best).

• The chocolate vs. broccoli framework and why you are probably marketing the wrong thing.

• How to identify your Unique Industry Advantage.

• Why so many women struggle to define their specialism and the fear behind it.

• The role of self-trust in building a premium positioning.

• Why premium is not about how you look, it is about your expertise.

Connect with Helen:

LinkedIn: Helen Thacker

Instagram: @helenthacker

Connect with Claire:

LinkedIn: Claire Lockey

Instagram: @clairelockeycoaching

Claire is joined by Francesca Amber, Sunday Times bestselling author and host of the UK's number one self-development podcast, to explore what manifestation really takes and why belief is just the starting point.

In this episode:

• What manifestation actually is and why it is not wishful thinking.

• Why your biggest setbacks are often redirections.

• The real story behind manifesting a million pound house. 

• Balancing energetics with action.

• Rewiring subconscious beliefs and money mindset.

• Functional manifestation for busy, exhausted women. 

• Letting go of the how and trusting the outcome. 

  
  

Connect with Francesca:

Instagram: @francescaamber

Website: https://francescaamber.com/

Connect with Claire:

LinkedIn: Claire Lockey

Instagram: @clairelockeycoaching

Claire is joined by Danielle Hobson, Intuitive Business Coach, to talk about permission, self-trust, and building a business on your own terms. Together they explore why so many women wait for external validation and how to stop outsourcing your power.

In this episode:

• Why we're conditioned to ask for permission (and who benefits from it).

• The "novice trap": why new business owners discount decades of experience.

• Permission to earn more: how your money story shapes your ceiling.

• Why doing what you love shouldn't feel like cheating.

• Rest, hustle, and the masculine/feminine balance in business.

• EFT and nervous system regulation as business tools.

• Danielle's take on professionalism, boundaries, and "inbred business".

• Building self-trust through evidence and why failure is just data.

• Playing in the realm of possibility - how to let go of the outcome.

Connect with Danielle:

LinkedIn: Danielle Hobson

Instagram: @thedaniellehobson

Website: https://www.daniellehobson.co.uk/

Connect with Claire:

LinkedIn: Claire Lockey

Instagram: @clairelockeycoaching

In this solo episode, Claire gets honest about the four edges that hold business owners back and the real price of shrinking away from them. From fear and identity to approval-seeking and financial impact, this episode is a direct challenge to stop waiting and start moving.

In this episode:

• The fear edge, safety edge, identity edge and approval edge
• Identity lag and why your business needs a newer version of you
• Why frustration is a signal, not a flaw
• The Mario save point analogy for reframing risk
• The emotional and financial cost of playing it safe

Connect with Claire:

LinkedIn: Claire Lockey

Instagram: @clairelockeycoaching

Claire is joined by Eleanor Hancock, Creative Director and Brand Strategist at No75 Design, to talk about visibility, brand identity and doing business as an introverted entrepreneur. Together they explore how your biggest perceived weaknesses are often your most powerful assets.

In this episode:

• Doing business as a quiet person and the timid trailblazer
• Why introversion has nothing to do with confidence
• The difference between confidence and self-esteem
• Eleanor's 75/25 rule for standing out without selling out
• Why purpose matters more than personality

Connect with Eleanor:

LinkedIn: Eleanor Hancock

Instagram: @number75design

Website: https://www.number75design.com/

Connect with Claire:

LinkedIn: Claire Lockey

Instagram: @clairelockeycoaching