Are you in your fifties or sixties and quietly wondering whether it’s too late to do something different?

This episode is for you.

Susan McGregor is a celebrant who went to university at forty, started teaching at forty-four, and launched a brand new business in her sixties. Her third year in business has been her best yet. And in this episode she completely dismantles the myth that starting a business is something you do when you’re young.

We talk about why everything you’ve ever done has been preparing you for this moment. Why the network you’ve already built over decades is one of your greatest business assets. Why patience and perspective — things that only come with life experience — give you an enormous advantage. And why networking has been one of the most powerful tools in building her business from the ground up.

This is one of the most different and important conversations I’ve had on the podcast. Whether a career change is on your radar or not — I think this one will stay with you.

In this episode we cover:

✨ Why starting a business later in life is not starting from scratch — it’s starting from experience

✨ How the network you’ve already built is more valuable than you realise

✨ Why patience and perspective give you an advantage younger entrepreneurs don’t have

✨ How networking helped Susan find clients, collaborators and a whole community

✨ What to do when you know something needs to change but you don’t know what yet

✨ Susan’s journey from retail to teaching to Slimming World to celebrancy

✨ Why you are never, ever too old

Find Susan at Susan McGregor Celebrant:

🌐 https://susanmcgregorcelebrant.co.uk

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanmcgregorcelebrant

Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events

Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network

Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network: Networking For Women In Business

📖 Read the full blog: https://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/blog

🎙️ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0DM7Ooc5nLezg4u91OklYo?si=83acff1303aa4471

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDVCZqf8LiBs92aTeEHZsWrtoNRJEVCXn&si=kfsbmnaQYm0lelUk

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this one resonated with you, a review or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛

This one is for anyone who has ever walked into a networking event and felt like they didn’t belong.

Ruth Leigh is a published author with eight books under her belt, a brilliant speaker, and one of the funniest and most magnetic women I know. But when she turned up to her very first networking event, she looked around at a room full of suits and corporate language that wasn’t hers and thought: I do not belong here. I’m a complete loser. I’m calling it a day.

And then she told someone she had a qualification. JNP. Jolly Nice Person. The woman fell about laughing. And somewhere in the recesses of Ruth’s brain, a bell rang.

She stopped trying to sound like everyone else. She stopped pushing down her personality. She became unapologetically, brilliantly herself. And after that, everything changed.

In this episode Ruth and I have the most honest, funny and genuinely moving conversation about confidence, authenticity and why being yourself is the most powerful networking strategy there is. We talk about her incredible journey from a shy, introverted little girl who escaped into books to a published author with a devoted band of superfans. We talk about what it really takes to build confidence when you have none. And we talk about why the challenges and obstacles in life are what make you the person you become.

In this episode we cover:

✨ Why Ruth nearly gave up on networking after her very first event

✨ The JNP moment that changed everything

✨ Why trying to be someone else at networking events never works

✨ How confidence is built not born — and why showing up is the only strategy

✨ Ruth’s incredible journey from anxious child to published author

✨ Why your story and your personality are your greatest business assets

✨ What she’d say to anyone who feels like they don’t belong in the room

Find Ruth at Ruth Leigh Writes:

🌐 https://www.ruthleighwrites.co.uk

📸 Instagram: @ruthleighwrites

👤 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruthleighwrites

Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events

Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network

Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network: Networking For Women In Business

📖 Read the full blog: https://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/blog

🎙️ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0DM7Ooc5nLezg4u91OklYo?si=83acff1303aa4471

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDVCZqf8LiBs92aTeEHZsWrtoNRJEVCXn&si=kfsbmnaQYm0lelUk

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this one resonated with you, a review or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛

This one is for every woman who has ever wondered whether her hobby could ever be something more.

Jane Scates started crocheting at her kitchen table in 2020 during her recovery from breast cancer treatment. She just wanted something to focus on. Something to get her through. She never planned to turn it into a business. She never thought she was good enough to teach people. And when someone suggested she come to a networking event, her first reaction was: I’m not big enough for that.

This year, Jane handed in her notice as a teaching assistant.

She now runs The Little Crochet Den full time — making beautiful handmade pieces, teaching crochet to people of all ages, and travelling to events across the country doing something she truly loves. All built one tiny step at a time over four and a half years.

In this episode Jane and I have the most honest and warm conversation about what it really looks like to turn a hobby into a business. We talk about imposter syndrome, why she nearly said no to almost every opportunity that changed her life, and what she’d say to anyone sitting at home right now thinking their little business isn’t big enough to matter.

If you make things, create things, offer things — this one is for you.

In this episode we cover:

✨ How Jane’s crochet journey started during breast cancer recovery

✨ Why she didn’t think she was big enough to network — and what changed

✨ The power of building a business one small step at a time

✨ Why imposter syndrome nearly stopped her at every turn

✨ How networking gave her ideas, confidence and skills she never expected

✨ What finally made her leave her job and go full time

✨ Her advice for anyone who feels like they’re not big enough yet

Find Jane at The Little Crochet Den:

🌐 https://thelittlecrochetden.co.uk

📸 Instagram: @thelittlecrochetden

👤 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuffolkJane

Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events

Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network

Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network: Networking For Women In Business

📖 Read the full blog: https://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/blog

🎙️ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0DM7Ooc5nLezg4u91OklYo?si=83acff1303aa4471

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDVCZqf8LiBs92aTeEHZsWrtoNRJEVCXn&si=kfsbmnaQYm0lelUk

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this one resonated with you, a review or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛

Heard people talking about The Success Circle but have no idea what is it? This podcast is the perfect way to find out.

In todays podcast i'm chatting to Gemma Gooch, VA, Women Inspired Network Leader and Success Circle member about that it's really like to be in the Circle.

Enjoy!

This one is for every woman who has been watching from the sidelines and wondering whether to take the leap.

Nikki runs Insignia Limited, a promotional merchandise company she took over in 2023. She is brilliant at what she does. But for a long time, nobody outside her immediate circle knew that — because Nikki wasn’t going anywhere. She was in her own bubble, not leaving the house, and hadn’t been to a networking event in fifteen years after one truly awful experience put her off completely.

And then she found WIN.

In this episode Nikki shares her incredible transformation story — from lurking in our Facebook group too nervous to book, to attending an online session, to coming to her first in-person event, to joining The Success Circle all within the space of a few weeks. We talk about what finally made her take the leap, what that first event actually felt like, and how networking has built her confidence in ways she never expected.

This is one of my favourite stories to tell. And I think it might be exactly what you need to hear today.

In this episode we cover:

✨ Why one bad networking experience kept Nikki away for fifteen years

✨ What finally made her decide enough was enough and just go for it

✨ Why starting with an online session was the perfect first step

✨ The moment she walked through the door of her first in-person event

✨ Why she joined The Success Circle on the same day as her first in-person event

✨ How networking has built her confidence far beyond just getting clients

✨ Her advice for anyone sitting exactly where she was a few months ago

Find Nikki at Insignia Limited:

🌐 https://www.insigniauk.com/

📸https://www.instagram.com/insigniapromo1/?hl=en

👤 https://www.facebook.com/InsigniaukLtd

Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events

Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network

Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network: Networking For Women In Business

📖 Read the full blog: https://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/blog

🎙️ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0DM7Ooc5nLezg4u91OklYo?si=83acff1303aa4471

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDVCZqf8LiBs92aTeEHZsWrtoNRJEVCXn&si=kfsbmnaQYm0lelUk

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this one resonated with you, a review or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛

If you’ve ever said “networking just isn’t for me” — this episode is going to change your mind.

This week I sat down with Julie Clarke, family and wedding photographer and brand new WIN leader in Mildenhall, for one of the most honest and relatable conversations I’ve had on the podcast yet.

Julie moved to the UK from North Carolina in 2021 knowing absolutely nobody. She had to rebuild her business, her reputation and her entire network from scratch in a brand new country. She describes herself as a complete introvert. And her first ever networking experience was so overwhelming she left having made no real connections whatsoever.

And then she found the right room. And everything changed.

We talk about why being an introvert is actually a superpower in networking, why the format matters so much, how networking has built her confidence in talking about what she does, and why spending all your time networking within your own industry might be the very thing that’s holding your business back.

This one is for every woman who has been putting off networking because she doesn’t think it’s for her. It is. You just haven’t found the right room yet.

In this episode we cover:

✨ Why introverts can actually be the best networkers

✨ Why the format of a networking event makes all the difference

✨ How networking builds confidence in talking about your business

✨ Why your industry bubble might be limiting your growth

✨ The power of showing up consistently and becoming recognisable

✨ Why the pre-event chat is where the best connections happen

✨ Julie’s exciting new role as WIN leader in Mildenhall

Find Julie at Julie Clarke Photography:

🌐 https://julieclarkephotography.com

📸 Instagram: @julieclarkephotography

👤 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julieclarkephoto

Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events

Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network

Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network: Networking For Women In Business

📖 Read the full blog: https://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/blog

🎙️ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0DM7Ooc5nLezg4u91OklYo?si=83acff1303aa4471

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDVCZqf8LiBs92aTeEHZsWrtoNRJEVCXn&si=kfsbmnaQYm0lelUk

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this one resonated with you, a review or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛

Let me tell you about the summer Gemma nearly gave up.

She’d been self-employed for two years. Her youngest had just started school. And she spent the entire summer holidays applying for jobs because she just couldn’t see how to make it work.

Then in September she came to her first Women Inspired Network (WIN) event. She met a client. That client is now one of her biggest. And every single client she has worked with since has come through networking.

In this episode I sit down with Gemma Gooch — virtual assistant, WIN Felixstowe leader and one of my favourite people — for one of the most honest and practical conversations I’ve had on the podcast yet. We talk about how networking actually translates into real clients, real income and a business you genuinely love — and what it really takes to get there.

This one is for anyone who has ever wondered whether networking is actually worth their time. Spoiler: it is. But not in the way most people think.

In this episode we cover:

✨ Why networking is just talking to people — and nothing more

✨ Why consistency is the single most important thing you can do

✨ Why clients rarely say yes straight away — and how to play the long game

✨ What to do when you lose a client and how to keep going

✨ Why the person in the room might not be your client — but their best friend might be

✨ The importance of following up after every event

✨ Why investing in yourself has a direct impact on your clients too

Find Gemma at:

🌐 https://www.gemmagooch.co.uk/

📸 https://www.instagram.com/gemassist.va/?hl=en

👤 https://www.facebook.com/Gemassist.va

Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events

Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network

Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network: Networking For Women In Business

📖 Read the full blog: https://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/blog

🎙️ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0DM7Ooc5nLezg4u91OklYo?si=83acff1303aa4471

📺 Watch the full playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDVCZqf8LiBs92aTeEHZsWrtoNRJEVCXn&si=kfsbmnaQYm0lelUk

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this one resonated with you, a review or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛

Leah Scott is the founder of Bravely Together, a health coaching business supporting medical mums — mums of children with complex care needs. Her own story includes losing her daughter, watching her twin boys undergo bone marrow transplants and chemotherapy before their first birthday, and flying to Italy for their treatment. And through all of it, she kept going. She built a business. She found joy.

In this episode Leah opens up about her incredible journey and shares the most honest, grounded advice for any mum who is trying to build something while life is throwing everything at her. We talk about mum guilt, asking for help, why it takes longer than you think to build a business, and how to find small moments of gratitude even on the hardest days.

We also talk about Leah's brand new role as our WIN leader in Diss, Norfolk — bringing women's networking to an area that has never had it before — and why she believes every business owner should be networking regardless of what stage they're at.

This one will stay with you. I promise.

In this episode we cover:

✨ Leah's story — loss, resilience and finding purpose through the hardest years of her life

✨ Why mum guilt is something we need to stop accepting as inevitable

✨ Why asking for help is not cheating — it's one of the smartest things you can do

✨ How to give yourself grace when you're in the early stages of building a business

✨ Finding small moments of joy and gratitude even when life is really hard

✨ Why networking works even when your ideal client isn't in the room

✨ The new WIN Diss events launching in Norfolk

Find Leah at Bravely Together:

🌐 https://bravelytogether.co.uk/

📸https://www.instagram.com/bravely_together/

👤 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573927418665

Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events

Specifically for Leah's Diss events:

https://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/book-events/diss

Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network

Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network: Networking For Women In Business

🎙️ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0DM7Ooc5nLezg4u91OklYo

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@womeninspirednetwork-o3b?si=oadkKbAuWLS9RMPz

Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this one resonated with you, a review or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛

So you've got the idea. You've got the passion. But every time you sit down to actually start, you feel completely overwhelmed and have no idea where to begin.

This episode is for you.

I sat down with the brilliant Danielle Marshall from Danielle Marshall Business Solutions for one of the most practical and genuinely useful conversations I've had on the podcast yet.

Danielle has spent years helping women go from 'I have an idea' to 'I have a business' — and in this episode she holds absolutely nothing back.

We talk about where to actually start, what you really need on day one and what can wait, how to price yourself properly from the beginning, the free tools that will save you time and money, and why you absolutely do not need a website before you launch.

We also get into the reality of building a business through word of mouth, why social media doesn't have to be overwhelming, and the best kept secret for getting professional looking branded templates on a tiny budget.

If you've been sitting on a business idea and wondering whether to take the plunge — this one will give you the clarity and the confidence to just go for it.

In this episode we cover:

✨ Why you should just go for it — and stop waiting to feel ready

✨ How to write a simple business plan without the overwhelm

✨ Social media — pages, groups or personal profile? What's right for you

✨ Why a Google Business Profile is a free tool you cannot afford to ignore

✨ Branding and templates on a budget — the Etsy trick you need to know

✨ How to research your market and price yourself what you're actually worth

✨ Why networking is one of the most powerful tools for a new business owner

Find Danielle at Danielle Marshall Business Solutions:

🌐 https://daniellemarshall.co.uk/

📸https://www.instagram.com/daniellemarshall_business/

👤 https://www.facebook.com/DanielleMarshallBusinessSolutions

Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events

Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network

Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network: Networking For Women In Business

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@womeninspirednetwork-o3b?si=oadkKbAuWLS9RMPz

Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this one helped you, a review or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛

What would you do if someone in a position of authority told you that you would never be successful at anything in life?

For Evie Capon, that moment became the fuel for everything she’s built since.

Evie is the founder of Little Voices Suffolk, a performing arts franchise for four to eighteen year olds, a national franchise award finalist, and co-founder of The Opportunity Stage CIC — all by the age of twenty-three. But her journey to get here was anything but straightforward.

In this episode Evie opens up about being bullied at school, struggling with her mental health, leaving drama college after a deeply difficult experience, and being told repeatedly she was too young to be taken seriously. We talk about how she turned every single one of those knockbacks into the foundation for something extraordinary.

This is one of the most honest and inspiring conversations I’ve had on the podcast. If you’ve ever doubted yourself, been told you’re not enough, or wondered whether it’s worth keep going — this one is for you.

In this episode we cover:

✨ Evie’s school experience and why she struggled

✨ What happened at drama college and how she found the strength to walk away

✨ Buying a franchise at twenty one and why she just went for it

✨ How to filter criticism and decide whose opinion actually matters

✨ Why success means something different to everyone — and why that matters

✨ Her tips for backing yourself even when your confidence is low

✨ What she’d say to that principal now

Find Evie at Little Voices Suffolk:

🌐 https://littlevoices.org.uk/suffolk/meet-the-team/

📸 @littlevoicessuffolk

👤 https://www.facebook.com/littlevoicessuffolk/

Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events

Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network

Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network: Networking For Women In Business

Check out the Youtube channel here:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDVCZqf8LiBs92aTeEHZsWrtoNRJEVCXn&si=6rJQPy680iSkJlCQ

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this one resonated with you, a review or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛