Podcast appearances and mentions of nicole higgins

In this episode of the Start Scale Succeed podcast, We delve into the world of entrepreneurship with the inspiring story of Lucy, the founder of Acorn and Pip. Lucy has successfully run her family concept store, navigating the complexities of retail in challenging times. With nearly 100,000 Instagram followers and a thriving business model that includes a retail store, cafe, and an online presence, Lucy shares insights into the importance of community, innovation, and authentic customer service. Join us as we explore how Lucy has managed to keep her business resilient and profitable, overcoming obstacles such as the impact of COVID-19, Brexit, and economic pressures. Some of the key areas discussed are 1.The Birth of Acorn and Pip: Lucy started Acorn and Pip as a pop-up store while on maternity leave, evolving into a family concept store with retail, hospitality, and online arms. Navigating Retail Challenges: Overcoming significant obstacles like Brexit and the post-COVID market crash, Lucy emphasises the importance of adapting and enhancing customer service. Her cafe became a lifesaver during tough times, highlighting the value of diverse revenue streams. Community-Centric Approach: Lucy discusses the power of hosting events to engage and serve the community, creating a space that’s more than just a shop. Her strategy revolves around building relationships and providing a meaningful experience for customers. Financial and Growth Strategies: She delves into the significance of financial planning, cash flow management, and creating an uplift strategy to boost sales, offering actionable advice for fellow business owners. Coaching and Mentoring: Lucy also helps other entrepreneurs through her coaching initiative, sharing her knowledge on marketing, inventory control, and more, fostering a supportive community for business growth. Lucy Haslam - Founder Family Concept store Acorn & Pip Acorn & Pip is a lifestyle brand that offers cherished customers more than just a product. They are devoted to creating a playful retail experience rooted in mindfulness and authenticity. https://acornandpip.com/ https://www.instagram.com/acornandpip/ https://www.coachingwithlucy.co.uk/ Host Nicole Higgins The Buyer and retail coach Nicole Higgins Links https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/ Nicole Higgins is an award-winning retail consultant with over 20 years of experience in the industry, having worked as a buyer with blue-chip companies such as Primark and M&S across multi-product categories from Bras to Beauty Her journey in the corporate world has equipped her with a wealth of knowledge and insights that she now dedicates to empowering startups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their journey to growth, profit and scalability. Nicole specialises in guiding businesses through the intricacies of start-up, strategy, sourcing and product development. Her keen understanding of market dynamics allows her to provide tailored solutions that drive success in today's competitive landscape. Major television networks turn to her for her insights and guidance in retail programs. Her practical and results-oriented approach has made her a sought-after collaborator in the media industry, where she contributes her expertise to help shape compelling narratives for retail-focused content. Host Nicole Higgins The Buyer and retail coach Nicole Higgins Links https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/ Sponsor Neon Digital Clicks Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store?This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, the agency dedicated to helping kids’ and family brands achieve explosive growth with high-performing digital marketing campaigns. Neon’s new Runway to Results programme is a revolutionary paid-advertising service that will help you understand your brand’s true potential and reach the heights of success you dream of. Over the course of 60 days, Neon’s expert team will test and optimise your Meta and Google ad accounts to establish your business KPIs and optimum Cost Per Acquisition. At the end of the Runway period, they’ll analyse your data to establish what profitable scaling looks like and arm you with knowledge, confidence and a clear plan for the next phase of your growth. If you’re ready to elevate your e-commerce game, Neon is the navigator you need on your flight deck. https://runwaytoresults.com/ https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/

I'm all for anything that is going to make you more money in your business and connecting with your customers in an authentic way. Live shopping ticks those two boxes. In todays episode of Start Scale Succeed I'm joined by Stephanie Weightman the founder of highlight crafts who started to implement Live shopping in their business just 9 months ago and it has literally saved them from going under. Stephanie initially started slowly with Live shopping once a month but is now doing several campaigns a week turning over anything between £5K to £15K per session! Episode Highlights: Live Shopping: The Game-Changer: Stephanie shares her incredible journey of reviving her business with live shopping after facing a near-disaster and how she was able to replace millions of lost revenue. Discover how she managed to transition from traditional TV shopping to interactive digital platforms, securing her business's future and even expanding it. Simple Start, Monumental Growth: Learn from Stephanie's experience of starting small with live shopping—initially expecting modest numbers—and how she turned it into a significant revenue stream, now achieving up to £15,000 an hour in sales with 80% conversion rates. Engagement & Community: Stephanie discusses the importance of direct customer engagement through live shopping. With interactive sessions, personable demonstrations, and dynamic product stories, she’s not only selling products but also building a loyal community. Innovative Strategies: Discover the methods that Stephanie and her team utilised—from themed shows to engaging live quizzes—that kept their audience coming back for more and even boosted their conversion rates to impressive levels. The Future of Shopping: As Stephanie declares, "Live shopping is the future," see why she believes this format is here to stay and how it can democratise the retail experience for brands and customers alike. Stephanie’s story is a testament to resilience and innovation. If your business is pondering its next move or if you need inspiration on handling market shifts and challenges this episode is a must-listen. Links https://sprii.io/ This weeks Guest https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-weightman/ https://www.instagram.com/highlightcrafts/ https://www.instagram.com/liveshoppingvip/ https://liveshopping.vip/ Stephanie Weightman is the Creative Director and one of the founders of Highlight Crafts Ltd. She has worked with big-name craft products and developed many new products over the years - including her own brands; Two Red Robins, Lemon Lane, My Craft Studio, Tattered Lace, Screen Sensation, and many more. Stephanie has taken newly developed product from zero to multi million pound turnover brands through her experiences in TV shopping. Stephanie also started from scratch the award-winning Crafting Live shows, which run in various locations across the UK annually. Stephanie also appears at major shows and events and has written several books. Her latest venture through Highlight Crafts and live shopping.VIP is in the world of social shopping, working closely with the most innovative and market leading facilitator Sprii. With this partnership Highlight crafts are quickly becoming recognised as social shopping super users. Her achievements in the world of craft have seen her gain multiple awards year after year, including Best Overall Designer, Celebrity Crafter of the Year, and most recently, Designer of the Year for the third year running and Craft Influencer of the Year (2020 Host Nicole Higgins The Buyer and retail coach Nicole Higgins Links https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/ Nicole Higgins is an award-winning retail consultant with over 20 years of experience in the industry, having worked as a buyer with blue-chip companies such as Primark and M&S across multi-product categories from Bras to Beauty Her journey in the corporate world has equipped her with a wealth of knowledge and insights that she now dedicates to empowering startups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their journey to growth, profit and scalability. Nicole specialises in guiding businesses through the intricacies of start-up, strategy, sourcing and product development. Her keen understanding of market dynamics allows her to provide tailored solutions that drive success in today's competitive landscape. Major television networks turn to her for her insights and guidance in retail programs. Her practical and results-oriented approach has made her a sought-after collaborator in the media industry, where she contributes her expertise to help shape compelling narratives for retail-focused content. Host Nicole Higgins The Buyer and retail coach Nicole Higgins Links https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/ Sponsor Neon Digital Clicks Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store?This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, the agency dedicated to helping kids’ and family brands achieve explosive growth with high-performing digital marketing campaigns. Neon’s new Runway to Results programme is a revolutionary paid-advertising service that will help you understand your brand’s true potential and reach the heights of success you dream of. Over the course of 60 days, Neon’s expert team will test and optimise your Meta and Google ad accounts to establish your business KPIs and optimum Cost Per Acquisition. At the end of the Runway period, they’ll analyse your data to establish what profitable scaling looks like and arm you with knowledge, confidence and a clear plan for the next phase of your growth. If you’re ready to elevate your e-commerce game, Neon is the navigator you need on your flight deck. https://runwaytoresults.com/ https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/

As it gets harder to locate specialist clinics with available slots, Australian doctors are turning to social media to help book appointments for their patients. Thousands of doctors have joined Facebook referral groups created to link healthcare providers and secure appointment times. In 2020, while she was on maternity leave, Adelaide General Practitioner Caitlin Sum launched a social media page directed at doctors only. What was a hobby for Sum has now become the main resource for doctors looking for appointments with specialists. The “Adelaide GP Referral Network,” as the Facebook page is called, counts more than 2,000 South Australian doctors. And it's all about saving time. As a lot of specialists have stopped taking new patients, using social media to find one instead of doing endless internet searches or asking around makes a lot of sense. “I think it bridges that gap and allows us to communicate with each other better and get to know each other and communicate directly,” says General Practitioner Alex Main. “We would all love to spend less time doing admin, and more time seeing our patients,” says Dr. Sum. In the state of Victoria, 800 members have joined a similar social media page. According to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, there's more and more pressure on general practitioners (GPs). The costs they face are increasing and waiting times for patients are growing. In this context, social media has become crucial for doing things like booking a specialist. “GPs in the medical profession are hyper-connected, and social media and those discussion spaces, just like everyone, is a really important resource that we use to connect,” says Royal Australian College of GPs president Dr. Nicole Higgins. These social media groups can only be joined by registered doctors. In order not to breach the Medical Board's code of conduct, members can't upload clinical photographs and patients can't be identified. Sum says that because of the clear value of the service offered by the page, doctors have been abiding by the rules. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Innovating Period Care with Ruby Raut of Wuka In this inspiring episode, Nicole Higgins sits down with Ruby Raut, the founder of Wuka, a sustainable period product brand on a mission to eradicate period shame and combat period poverty. Join us as Ruby shares her journey from a small village in Nepal to leading a game-changing brand in the UK. With insights into funding, product innovation, and the importance of building a community, this episode is packed with valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and those interested in sustainable solutions. Key Highlights: Product Market Fit  How Ruby initially tested the idea and discovered that there was a market need for the product, and how they continue to test and innovate, making period underwear accessible to all. Explore the diverse applications of Wuka's period underwear, from comfort for new moms and women experiencing perimenopause to suitability for children with sensory issues. Community Building & Kickstart  Ruby stresses the importance of community, sharing the organic reach and PR strategies that led to their successful Kickstarter campaign, including a pivotal feature on BBC's front page. Getting into retail  How product innovation meant they were able to grow their  retail presence, currently in  stores like Boots,  Morrisons, Sainsburys, Ocado  and their plans for further expansion. The Growth of the brand  How resilience, networking and hiring the right teams has helped move the brand forward  Ruby's Advice for Entrepreneurs.  Tips and strategies for new product business founders, including starting lean, proving product value, and building a competent team. https://wuka.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/wukawear/ Guest Bio  Ruby Raut Ruby, Environmental Scientist and listed in the 2019 Top Women in Femtech, grew up in Nepal, which inspires her work in making menstruation positive, taboo-free and environmentally-friendly. “When studying for my Environmental Science degree, I discovered that more than 200,000 tonnes of tampons and pads were sent to UK landfills every year, contributing to the mounting tide of plastic pollution. This was my ‘lightbulb moment'. I knew something had to change about the way we handled menstruation.” - Ruby Raut, Founder & CEO Ruby grew up in Nepal, where shame about periods was widespread. Nachune is the Nepalese word for period which basically translates as 'untouchable'. When she started her period, she experienced a form of Chapaudi, now illegal in Nepal. During menstruation, she was sent to her aunt's house and wasn't allowed to go out in the sun, look at men, or touch plants - as it was believed that she would kill them - just because she was having a period. Like other girls, she was given old sari rags to use for the bleeding, which happened to be reusable and eco-friendly, but not hygienic. They weren't leak-proof nor comfortable, and didn't work for her when she played sports! When she arrived in the UK, she was astonished by the wide range of menstrual products available on the shelves, but quickly realised that most of them were neither comfortable nor leak-proof, and they certainly were not eco-friendly. So it became Ruby mission to replace plastic-riddled disposable pads & tampons with the world's most comfortable and sustainable period underwear. Host Nicole Higgins  The Buyer and retail coach  Nicole Higgins Links  https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/ Sponsor  Neon Digital Clicks  Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store?This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, the agency dedicated to helping kids' and family brands achieve explosive growth with high-performing digital marketing campaigns. Neon's new Runway to Results programme is a revolutionary paid-advertising service that will help you understand your brand's true potential and reach the heights of success you dream of. Over the course of 60 days, Neon's expert team will test and optimise your Meta and Google ad accounts to establish your business KPIs and optimum Cost Per Acquisition.  At the end of the Runway period, they'll analyse your data to establish what profitable scaling looks like and arm you with knowledge, confidence and a clear plan for the next phase of your growth. If you're ready to elevate your e-commerce game, Neon is the navigator you need on your flight deck. https://runwaytoresults.com/ https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/

Doctors are warning that a plan by the Federal Government to let patients bypass their GP to get a specialist referral could lead to a US-style health system and longer waits for specialities in high demand. Under the proposed changes, patients would be able to get a referral from other medical professionals, including physiotherapists and midwives, without needing to return to their doctor. Luke Grant chats with the President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Dr Nicole Higgins, to find out what GP's make of the plan. Listen to Luke Grant live on air from 9am Saturday & Sunday on Weekends with Luke Grant.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Live shopping is set to hit £5 billion in the UK by 2025 with fashion and beauty being the key categories. But what converts and why should it be part of your marketing strategy. In todays episode of Podcast Start Scale Succeed I'm joined by Macdara Duncan International Director of Live Shopping Platform Sprii. https://sprii.io/ Key Highlights to help you understand what works in Live Shopping are below  Authenticity in Content MacDara emphasizes the importance of maintaining authenticity in live streams, presenting an in-store experience that feels real and unpolished to viewers. Campaign-Led Approach: Discover the advantages of using themes or campaigns over discounts to attract and retain viewers during live streams. Engaging Through Gamification: Learn how to incorporate interactive elements like quizzes, raffles, and polls to keep your audience entertained and engaged. Structure of Live Streams: Get tips on structuring your live sessions effectively, typically lasting 45 minutes to an hour and featuring numerous interactive components. Continuous Viewer Engagement: Understand the necessity of repeating themes and products to cater to viewers joining at different times. Production Quality Flexibility: Explore the range of production qualities, from casual setups to professional environments, suitable for live streams. Alternative Hosts: Learn why it's not always necessary for founders to host live streams themselves and how knowledgeable staff can be excellent hosts. Content Reusability: Discover strategies to repurpose live stream content for various promotional activities post-event. High Conversion Rates: Hear about the impressive conversion rates in live shopping, thanks to detailed and engaging presentations. Engagement Over Audience Size: Understand why a smaller, engaged audience can be more valuable than a larger, unengaged one. Sprii Platform  https://sprii.io/ Learn about Sprii, a streamlined live shopping tool, and its role in enhancing live shopping experiences. Host  Nicole Higgins  has worked as a buyer and head of buying for over 18 years for retailers such as Primark, M&S and Debenhams and now uses her expertise and knowledge to help entrepreneurs start and scale their product businesses and continues to work on projects with corporates to increase bottom line sales and profits.  She established her own business The Buyer And Retail Coach™ to help give entrepreneurs the confidence and knowledge to bring products to market. Her expertise covers many areas from product development to sourcing and strategy across multi-product categories Host Nicole Higgins  The Buyer and retail coach  Nicole Higgins Links  https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/ Sponsor  Neon Digital Clicks  Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store?This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, the agency dedicated to helping kids' and family brands achieve explosive growth with high-performing digital marketing campaigns. Neon's new Runway to Results programme is a revolutionary paid-advertising service that will help you understand your brand's true potential and reach the heights of success you dream of.   Over the course of 60 days, Neon's expert team will test and optimise your Meta and Google ad accounts to establish your business KPIs and optimum Cost Per Acquisition.  At the end of the Runway period, they'll analyse your data to establish what profitable scaling looks like and arm you with knowledge, confidence and a clear plan for the next phase of your growth. If you're ready to elevate your e-commerce game, Neon is the navigator you need on your flight deck. https://runwaytoresults.com/

Ultimate Black Friday Strategy: How Brands Can Maximize Sales Before, During, and After First off I want to say participating in Black Friday may not be right for you, you might not have enough margin or stock or  it may not sit right from a sustainability or mass consumption point of view but if you have decided to join the countless brands that will be discounting over BFCM (Black Friday Cyber Monday) Then this episode is for you where I will share tips and tactics to help you before during and after Black Friday.     Some of the areas I chat about today  Setting Clear Goals & KPI's for Black Friday  How to Plan your promotions and what promotions work.  Optimizing your website and email marketing.  Black Friday can be a whirlwind, but with the right preparation and strategies, it's a huge opportunity for your business. Focus on planning ahead, executing smoothly during the rush, and following up afterward to keep the momentum going.  I've created a FREE Checklist & Guide for you to action before during & after Black Friday  https://nicolehigginsthebuyerandretailcoach.lpages.co/black-fridayplanner/ Your black FRiday Checklist PDF  Host  Nicole Higgins  has worked as a buyer and head of buying for over 18 years for retailers such as Primark, M&S and Debenhams and now uses her expertise and knowledge to help entrepreneurs start and scale their product businesses and continues to work on projects with corporates to increase bottom line sales and profits.  She established her own business The Buyer And Retail Coach™ to help give entrepreneurs the confidence and knowledge to bring products to market. Her expertise covers many areas from product development to sourcing and strategy across multi-product categories Host Nicole Higgins  The Buyer and retail coach  Nicole Higgins Links  https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/ Sponsor  Neon Digital Clicks  Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store?This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, the agency dedicated to helping kids' and family brands achieve explosive growth with high-performing digital marketing campaigns.   Neon's new Runway to Results programme is a revolutionary paid-advertising service that will help you understand your brand's true potential and reach the heights of success you dream of.   Over the course of 60 days, Neon's expert team will test and optimise your Meta and Google ad accounts to establish your business KPIs and optimum Cost Per Acquisition.    At the end of the Runway period, they'll analyse your data to establish what profitable scaling looks like and arm you with knowledge, confidence and a clear plan for the next phase of your growth.   If you're ready to elevate your e-commerce game, Neon is the navigator you need on your flight deck.   https://runwaytoresults.com/

Matthew Pantelis speaks with Dr Nicole Higgins, President, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners on fast tracking overseas GPs. Listen live on the FIVEAA Player. Follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm all for advice that is  easy to understand and implement and was delighted to chat with Alice Benham author of the recently released The Digital Marketing Handbook for this weeks podcast  Some of the areas we chat about  Why Marketing Strategies Often Feel Overwhelming (00:03:16): The pitfalls of jargon-filled advice and the importance of understanding the core elements of a strategy. Marketing strategy simplified: plan with an end goal in mind. Three Steps to Building a Marketing Strategy (00:05:28): Clarity: Determine your marketing goals, brand identity, and target audience. Planning: Decide where and how to show up online, and create relevant content. Implementation: Establish processes, timelines, and methods to execute and measure your strategy. Setting Financial and Personal Goals (00:07:40): Integrating financial targets and personal lifestyle goals into your overall marketing strategy. Using marketing as a tool to achieve both business success and personal fulfilment. Standing Out and Connecting with Consumers (00:12:13): Understanding what makes your brand unique through customer feedback and storytelling. Case studies of successful product businesses, like Partner in Wine and Pearl Cosmetics. Identifying and Understanding Your Target Audience (00:17:35): The difference between demographic and psychographic targeting. The importance of constant learning and adapting based on consumer behaviour and feedback. Reviewing and Adjusting Your Marketing Strategy (00:20:13): The right intervals for evaluating and tweaking your marketing strategy. Buy the digital Marketing Handbook  https://amzn.eu/d/iNK80CV Find out more about Alice Benham  https://www.alicebenham.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/alice_benham/ https://www.alicebenham.co.uk/about Host  Nicole Higgins  has worked as a buyer and head of buying for over 18 years for retailers such as Primark, M&S and Debenhams and now uses her expertise and knowledge to help entrepreneurs start and scale their product businesses and continues to work on projects with corporates to increase bottom line sales and profits.  She established her own business The Buyer And Retail Coach™ to help give entrepreneurs the confidence and knowledge to bring products to market. Her expertise covers many areas from product development to sourcing and strategy across multi-product categories Host Nicole Higgins  The Buyer and retail coach  Nicole Higgins Links  https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/ Sponsor  Neon Digital Clicks  Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store?This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, the agency dedicated to helping kids' and family brands achieve explosive growth with high-performing digital marketing campaigns. Neon's new Runway to Results programme is a revolutionary paid-advertising service that will help you understand your brand's true potential and reach the heights of success you dream of. Over the course of 60 days, Neon's expert team will test and optimise your Meta and Google ad accounts to establish your business KPIs and optimum Cost Per Acquisition.  https://glowwithus.neondigitalclicks.co.uk/runway-to-results-page681429

How about growing to 50K followers in 6 months, well that's just what this weeks guest did Martha Keith Founder of stationery brand Martha Brook London and her new account Business Secrets Club where Martha shares great tips and advice for small businesses particularly focusing on social media.  I recently had the pleasure of recording this episode Live on the stage at Top Drawer and it was so great to get the interaction and questions from the audience, (you can watch the full episode on You tube on the link below) We chatted about growing your business on Instagram,  and connecting with your customers along with driving sales on the Instagram platform.  For real tangible advice hear how you can  Create "bingeable"  content that leaves followers coming back for more  Understand what content pillars are and how to use them effectively for your brand  What trends are working now on Instagram   Understand what strategies are most effective for driving growth and sales  Give value to your audience and what that actually looks like in practice.  Include storytelling in your business. Adapt to the changing algorithm to enhance your  content's reach and visibility Guest  Martha Keith. Founder, Martha Brook and Business Secrets Club Martha is the founder and CEO of award-winning stationery brand Martha Brook. After her own experiences growing a business, she now helps and advises other entrepreneurs and start-ups. She is a member of the British Library Advisory Council and is Ambassador for their Business & IP Centre. In 2024 she founded Business Secrets Club, growing it to a community of 50K in six months. Last year she was awarded Consumer Goods Businesswomen of the Year at the Great British Businesswomen Awards. https://www.instagram.com/marthabrookldn https://www.instagram.com/businesssecretsclub/ https://www.businesssecretsclub.com/ https://www.marthabrook.com/ Nicole Higgins has worked as a buyer and head of buying for over 18 years for retailers such as Primark, M&S and Debenhams. She now uses her expertise and knowledge to help entrepreneurs start and scale their product businesses and continues to work on projects with corporates to increase bottom line sales and profits.  She established her own business The Buyer And Retail Coach™ to help give entrepreneurs the confidence and knowledge to bring products to market. Her expertise covers many areas from product development to sourcing and strategy across multi-product categories Host Nicole Higgins  The Buyer and retail coach  Nicole Higgins Links  https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/ Sponsor  Neon Digital Clicks  Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store? This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, the agency dedicated to helping kids' and family brands achieve explosive growth with high-performing digital marketing campaigns. Neon's new Runway to Results programme is a revolutionary paid-advertising service that will help you understand your brand's true potential and reach the heights of success you dream of. Over the course of 60 days, Neon's expert team will test and optimise your Meta and Google ad accounts to establish your business KPIs and optimum Cost Per Acquisition.  https://glowwithus.neondigitalclicks.co.uk/runway-to-results-page681429    

Anxiety, Self-doubt and lack of confidence are all things as business founders we can experience. Today's  episode of start scale succeed I chat with Life Coach, published Author  & NLP Practitioner Holly Matthews about Finding your Confidence.  Holly has just released her new book Find your confidence (see link below)  She shares tips and tactics to help build and create confidence in several different situations  Areas we chat about in the podcast are  Building Confidence: Combining external body language techniques with internal mindset work. 'Fake it till you make it' approach while working on internal self-esteem. Developing self-belief through continued efforts and tools. Visualization and Scripting: Regular practice of visualization, especially before bed. Importance of scripting for public speaking and confidence in various scenarios. Anchoring Techniques: Methods like pressing fingers together to reinforce positivity and reduce anxiety, particularly effective for public speaking. Real-life Examples and Practical Tips: Holly shares her TED Talk experience and the role of visualization and anchoring in overcoming last-minute challenges. Handling Anxiety and Mindset Shifts: Techniques like breathwork, meditation, physical exercise, and EFT tapping for managing anxiety. Recognizing and challenging limiting beliefs through positive affirmations and real-time interventions. Setting Boundaries: Differentiating personal and business boundaries to maintain balance. Assertiveness in boundary enforcement to avoid passive or aggressive behaviours. Appearance and Self-Image: Addressing internalized critical messaging about appearance affecting public confidence. Striving for a balanced and authentic online presence. Moving from self-critique to neutrality and acceptance. Self-Compassion and Overcoming Negative Thoughts: Importance of challenging negative, fear-based stories and reframing failures with compassionate self-talk. Techniques for real-time thought interruption and adjusting self-perception. Guest Bio  Holly Matthews  Holly is a qualified Life Coach, NLP practitioner, hypnotherapist and Intuitive Psychology Coach. She has coached thousands of people across the world (across all walks of life, from Mums on the school run to Brit winning pop stars). Her debut book The Happy Me Project- A no nonsense guide to self development won Health and Wellbeing Magazines best wellbeing book of 2022 and hit number #1 on Amazon the day it released. Holly's relatable and raw approach to self development has her teaching people how to feel ‘more happy and less crappy' in a way that reaches those that never thought ‘self development' would be for them.  Www.iamhollymatthews.com  Buy Find your Confidence  https://amzn.eu/d/09gFk3Hy  Host  Nicole Higgins  has worked as a buyer and head of buying for over 18 years for retailers such as Primark, M&S and Debenhams and now uses her expertise and knowledge to help entrepreneurs start and scale their product businesses and continues to work on projects with corporates to increase bottom line sales and profits.  She established her own business The Buyer And Retail Coach™ to help give entrepreneurs the confidence and knowledge to bring products to market. Her expertise covers many areas from product development to sourcing and strategy across multi-product categories Host Nicole Higgins  The Buyer and retail coach  Nicole Higgins Links  https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/ Sponsor  Neon Digital Clicks  Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store?This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, the agency dedicated to helping kids' and family brands achieve explosive growth with high-performing digital marketing campaigns.   Neon's new Runway to Results programme is a revolutionary paid-advertising service that will help you understand your brand's true potential and reach the heights of success you dream of.   Over the course of 60 days, Neon's expert team will test and optimise your Meta and Google ad accounts to establish your business KPIs and optimum Cost Per Acquisition.    At the end of the Runway period, they'll analyse your data to establish what profitable scaling looks like and arm you with knowledge, confidence and a clear plan for the next phase of your growth.   If you're ready to elevate your e-commerce game, Neon is the navigator you need on your flight deck.

Matthew Pantelis speaks with Dr Nicole Higgins, President, Royal Australian College of GPs about the GP shortage. Listen live on the FIVEAA Player. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clinton is joined by Dr Nicole Higgins, president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners who are calling for changes to after-hours care so that more patients across Australia can get the care they need, when they need it. It comes following the College's submission to the Department of Health and Aged Care's Review of After Hours Primary Care Policies and Programs, which is investigating general practice care after-hours services and what needs to change. In May 2023, the Albanese Government announced new changes to after-hours care through Primary Health Networks, or PHNs, and Healthdirect. However, RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said that further enhancements were needed. “More must be done to help patients get the after-hours care they need,” she said. “Funding drives results. By supporting GPs to provide this care, we can expand what we do, and keep more patients out of hospital. By allowing GPs to claim after-hours rebates from 6pm on weeknights and 12pm on Saturdays for services delivered in the practice, we can enable more practices to remain open longer." "In my home of Mackay, there was previously an after-hours clinic that provided 24 hour care. However, after the Government made changes to the funding model, it's now operated by emergency doctors, costs patients three times as much, and closes at 10pm. So, getting the funding model right is vital.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicole Higgins from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners joined Jacqui Felgate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There has been a rise in cases of RSV in NSW and QLD, but what is the disease, and how infectious is it? We've already dealt with one infectious respiratory disease, so how can you tell if you've got RSV? Nicole Higgins, the president of the NSW RACGP joins John with all the answers. Listen to John Stanley live from Monday-Thursday from 8pm to 12am on 2GB/4BCSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Using a distributor for your beauty or wellness  brand can catapult your growth.  In ep 139 of start scale succeed host Nicole Higgins chats with Catherine Collins about the practical tips for identifying and collaborating with the right distributor.  Catherine established a distribution agency in the middle east and now provides expert consultancy for beauty and wellness brands  This week some of the topics covered are  The pivotal role of distributors in a brand's expansion and the critical factors that determine when a brand is ready to work with a distributor. The financial mechanics of distributor partnerships, including the ideal margin rule for pricing  The distinction between the roles of distributors and agents in the growth of a brand, and what brands can expect from each. Characteristics of founders who steer their brands towards success, such as a growth mindset, resilience, and a purpose-driven approach to their business. An overview of current trends shaping the beauty industry, including consumer interest in scientifically-backed products and doctor-led brands.  Practical tips for identifying and collaborating with the right distributor, including questions to ask and strategies to foster a lasting and beneficial relationship.   Guest  Catherine Collins  Catherine's career spans across multiple markets from building an international beauty distribution business in the Middle East to advising some of the world's most well known beauty brands on their global strategy and working closely with high growth startups and connecting them with investors.  She has a deep understanding of international markets and how to scale a brand successfully and has worked with a variety of different retailers and distributors worldwide.  https://www.constellarconsultancy.com/ https://www.instagram.com/constellarconsultancy/ Host  Nicole Higgins  The Buyer and retail coach  Nicole Higgins Links  https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/ Neon Digital Clicks  Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store? Want to do it without having to wear yet another hat and become a digital marketing expert? This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, THE paid-traffic partner for family and women's e-commerce brands wanting to scale their stores from five figure to six figure months using Meta, Google and Klaviyo marketing services.   Neon is offering listeners a FREE scaling audit worth £3000!  So whether your sales have plateaued or you 're looking for growth, this is a great opportunity to lift the lid on your biz and identify where the opportunities are hiding.  Head to scaleandglow.com to discover just how much revenue you could scale your store to this year.  https://scaleandglow.com/ https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/neondigitalclicks/

In this episode of Start Scale Succeed host Nicole Higgins is joined by guest Katie Tucker, author of "Do penguins eat peaches  and founder of Product Jungle. Together, they delve into the essential topic of understanding customers and how businesses can leverage this understanding to thrive. Katie provides invaluable insights into market research, customer discovery, and the importance of aligning with customer values. Listeners will gain practical tips for conducting effective surveys, testing product viability, and maintaining a collaborative approach with customers. Whether you're an established business or an entrepreneur just starting out, this episode offers actionable strategies to enhance your relationship with your customers and fuel business growth. Buy Katies' Book Do penguins eat peaches  book  https://www.productjungle.co.uk/about https://www.instagram.com/productjungle/   Guest Bio  Katie Tucker is an inspirational product leader with over twelve years' experience in leading teams and delivering stand-out digital products and services. She is also a writer, author of the Amazon bestselling book Do Penguins Eat Peaches? and a speaker. In 2020, she set-up Product Jungle. A boutique consultancy with bite - using tools and hacks from the world of big tech to help small businesses and social enterprises embrace customer problems and build products and services that sell.  After starting her career in the fast-paced world of commodity markets, working her way up from business reporter to managing editor and overseeing the daily product and digital delivery of ten B2B publications, she worked for a successful FTSE 100 company for over ten years, inspiring teams, setting product strategies and delivering transformational digital products with a clear focus on user needs. In 2018, she made the bold move to quit the corporate 9-5 to travel the world for ten months with her family, a life-changing experience which led to renewed sense of purpose. Product Jungle was born out of a passion of demystifying big tech practices.      Nicole Higgins  The Buyer and retail coach  Nicole Higgins Links  https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/ Neon Digital Clicks  Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store? Want to do it without having to wear yet another hat and become a digital marketing expert? This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, THE paid-traffic partner for family and women's e-commerce brands wanting to scale their stores from five figure to six figure months using Meta, Google and Klaviyo marketing services.   Neon is offering listeners a FREE scaling audit worth £3000!  So whether your sales have plateaued or you 're looking for growth, this is a great opportunity to lift the lid on your biz and identify where the opportunities are hiding.  Head to scaleandglow.com to discover just how much revenue you could scale your store to this year.  https://scaleandglow.com/ https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/neondigitalclicks/

Goals aren't just for January.  In this workshop style episode host Nicole Higgins takes listeners through a comprehensive guide on setting strategic business goals for future success. Drawing from her extensive experience in corporate strategy and entrepreneurship, Nicole outlines the importance of setting goals and the actionable steps necessary to achieve them. Split into 3 parts Reflections, Review and Plan  Reflection - Nicole encourages listeners to reflect on their experiences in 2023, both personally and professionally. - Listeners are prompted to think about what worked, what didn't work, and how they felt throughout the year. - A focus on professional growth, personal well-being, and business performance is central to this reflection. Review A deeper dive into the lessons learnt in your business, your strengths and weaknesses, turnover, sales & marketing results. Identifying opportunities for growth.  Planning and Goal Setting Planning S.M.A.R.T Goals  - Listeners are prompted to consider three key areas of focus for their business and align their goals with the broader mission and vision of their company. - The episode concludes with a focus on establishing sales targets and key business objectives for the next 90 days, ensuring a clear plan for success. Host  Nicole Higgins  The Buyer and retail coach  Nicole Higgins Links  https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/ Neon Digital Clicks  Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store? Want to do it without having to wear yet another hat and become a digital marketing expert? This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, THE paid-traffic partner for family and women's e-commerce brands wanting to scale their stores from five figure to six figure months using Meta, Google and Klaviyo marketing services.   Neon is offering listeners a FREE scaling audit worth £3000!  So whether your sales have plateaued or you're looking for growth, this is a great opportunity to lift the lid on your biz and identify where the opportunities are hiding.  Head to scaleandglow.com to discover just how much revenue you could scale your store to this year.  https://scaleandglow.com/ https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/neondigitalclicks/

In this episode Dev chats with Dr Nicole Higgins, President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). They touch on:

President of the RACGP, Dr Nicole Higgins, has called for greater financial investments into the healthcare system, of Medicare gap fees.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, host Nicole Higgins sits down with Georgia Williams, founder of Ray of Social and Canva Queen, to discuss how to create content that captures attention and stands out from the competition. Georgia shares valuable tips on finding your unique voice, showcasing confidence, outsourcing tasks, and creating a content plan with a purpose. Whether you're starting fresh or in need of a content refresh, this episode provides practical advice to help you elevate your content and stop the scroll.   Key Points: - Defining your unique brand voice and identifying what sets you apart from the competition - Confidently delivering your message and creating content with conviction - The importance of having a content plan and understanding the purpose behind each piece of content - Avoiding comparison with competitors and focusing on your own goals and journey - Tips for batching content and streamlining the creation process - How to approach content creation for a fresh start or to refresh an existing account   Guest: Georgia Williams - Founder of Ray of Social "Canva Queen" - Experienced in social media marketing and content strategy - Passionate about helping business owners create compelling and eye-catching content without the faff. Guest links Georgia Williams www.rayofsocial.com www.instagram.com/rayofsocial www.linkedin.com/in/georgiawilliamsrayofsocial/ Host Nicole Higgins The Buyer and retail coach Nicole Higgins Links https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/       Neon Digital Clicks   Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store? Want to do it without having to wear yet another hat and become a digital marketing expert? This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, THE paid-traffic partner for family and women's e-commerce brands wanting to scale their stores from five figure to six figure months using Meta, Google and Klaviyo marketing services.    Neon is offering listeners a FREE scaling audit worth £3000!   So whether your sales have plateaued or you're looking for growth, this is a great opportunity to lift the lid on your biz and identify where the opportunities are hiding.   Head to scaleandglow.com to discover just how much revenue you could scale your store to this year.   https://scaleandglow.com/   https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/neondigitalclicks/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/neon-digital-clicks/about/    This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Dr Nicole Higgins, President, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners speaks with Matthew Pantelis on the Health of the nation report and how doctors are at breaking point.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Daddow, Tim Lester, Mitch Sariovski, Jarrod Day, Jon Blake, Lucy's Movies, Dr Nicole Higgins and Behind Closed Doors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctors say simplifying processes in our visa system, will help get more overseas GPs to work in regional and rural areas.  The federal government is reducing red tape to make the international recruitment program easier and scrapping a medical visa program.  Rural reporter Katie Fuller caught up with Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Nicole Higgins to hear about the importance of attracting health professionals in a competitive international environment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew and Teresa are joined by frequent collaborator and friend Nicole Higgins who is a grip working in Atlanta.

It's becoming much easier to access the abortion pill MS-2 Step (RU486 overseas.) All doctors and some senior nurses will be able to prescribe it, and from today, all pharmacies will be able to stock it. But gynaecologists and obstetricians are sounding the alarm, saying there isn't enough infrastructure in place to expand access this much. In this episode of the Briefing, we speak with Dr Gino Pecoraro, President National Association Specialist Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners' president Nicole Higgins. Expanding access to abortion pills seems like a no- brainer, but is it?   Headlines: The Matildas are into the World Cup's final 16 Scott Morrison hits back over robodebt report The search for four ADF members now a recovery mission July was the world's hottest month in recorded history   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you create a brand that connects so deeply with your customer? In today's episode, Nicole is joined by Sharon Keegan, the founder of fitness brand Peachylean, to discuss the remarkable journey and growth of the brand. They delve into the strategies behind creating a brand that deeply connects with customers, exploring Sharon's story, Dragons Den appearance, and the success of Peachylean. KEY TAKEAWAYS Peachylean sells more than just activewear—it represents confidence. Sharon started the brand after feeling unseen and unsupported in the wellness industry due to her postnatal journey. After noticing the lack of imagery and suitable activewear for postnatal bodies, she wanted to provide suitable activewear and empower others in similar situations. Through her experience working with other brands, Sharon discovered the importance of staying true to your story, values, and authenticity. She believes that by building a community that aligns with your brand, you will consistently attract customers who resonate with your product and those customers will be there for the duration. Peachylean do not Photoshop imagery as they want to empower women's real body types and show imagery of real women. They want to show that there's nothing wrong with real women. One of the biggest things Sharon has learned is to keep on top of your cash flow, really understand when and how your money is coming in and out. Having only recently come out of a bit of trouble with this, Sharon would recommend elongating the timeframes that you expect cash to come in.  Sharon built her brand's community by focusing on empowering individuals who often feel left behind. There are so many women who don't get opportunities and support, those who may doubt themselves or feel stuck in life. Sharon believes that everyone needs someone who believes in them and she wants to be that person for others, giving them the confidence and strength to go after what they want. Sharon says it all begins with self-belief. Age or gender doesn't matter; anyone can start a business, even at 60. The biggest obstacle we face is often our own mind, doubting whether others will approve or criticise us. But here's the truth: "They," the ones we worry about, are usually just our own insecurities. BEST MOMENTS‘Stay true to what your core customer values and asks for' ‘I was sat in McDonalds and got a phone call from Dragons Den' ‘The video has 7 million views on YouTube'‘Don't forget, “They” don't pay your bills'‘Success can be anything you want it to be'‘I love stories, I love women's stories and empowering them' EPISODE RESOURCESPeachyleanP E A C H Y L E A N ®️ (@peachyleanofficial) • Instagram photos and videosThe Marketing Agency Sharon recommended - doodledevelopment.co.uk ABOUT THE GUEST At the age of 33 founder and CEO of Peachylean, Sharon Keegan, became a new Mam and struggled with postnatal depression. Being no stranger to throwing herself into adversity, Sharon decided to go back and study Innovation and entrepreneurship in University College Dublin. This helped her to not only overcome her anxiety and postnatal depression, but also compelled her to help other women who were going through similar experiences.After designing and experimenting with multiple products, Sharon realised that her passion was in physical and mental wellbeing. Having found huge solace in exercise throughout her most arduous times, Sharon decided to create a product that she couldn't find on the market: supportive, comfortable, excellent quality leggings that would not only support a woman's shape, but would also help give them the confidence and self-esteem to move for their mind. Sharon's mission was simple, to help women to silence their inner critic, to stop holding themselves back and discover their true potential in life, and to ultimately love them 'Self.' ABOUT THE HOSTBuying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years working for companies such as Primark, M&S, Debenhams and Asda, sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. Nicole now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and small to medium sized business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses as The Buyer And Retail Coach (TM) Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist CONTACT METHOD Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.comIG https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/Link to my blog https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/TikTok www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoachLinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk Email nicole@thebuyerandretailcoach.com Newsletter https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/Book a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallThis show was brought to you by Progressive Media

After selling her previous fashion brand, Nicki Hoyne launched her first collection of crossbody camera bags in October 2020 and she followed in 2021 with her footwear collection. Nicki has a wealth of experience in both the footwear and accessories industry, being nominated for multiple awards. That's why she's the perfect guest to join Nicole on this episode of Start Scale Succeed to share with you her knowledge through her life story. KEY TAKEAWAYS Nicki thought that her launch in October 2020 couldn't have been a worse time, but the opposite was true as people were looking for feel good inspiring stories. They naturally wanted to know about this Irish, sustainable, female led brand. Before the brand launched, Nicki spent 6 months posting mood boards as part of her brand storytelling journey and secretly hiding her shoes in the background of Instagram posts. Nicki Hoyne is the name of the brand because the brand is Nicki Hoyne, it has her passion and personality in its DNA. As a founder this allows you to just let the brand be an extension of your personality and that helps sell the story. One of the things Nicki found the hardest was the design drawings, this is why she likes to surround herself with people who are talented at what they do. She brought in someone who she can explain the designs to and they make the technical drawings. Nicki Hoyne is handmade in Spain by master craftspeople. All materials are sourced as close as possible to the factory. Their factories are Leather Working Group (LWG) certified and their recycled materials are certified Global Recycled Standard. Nicki's biggest pieces of advice are that nobody cares what you're doing, just go for it, got for it today! Why are you waiting? Get that plan together, get that budget together and start 6 months before you need to.   BEST MOMENTS ‘If you lived your life backwards it would all make perfect sense' ‘It's all about timing selling a business' ‘I would love to work with other people, I'm working alone so much of the time' ‘Surround yourself with people who are better than you at the things you're bad at' ‘What I'd say to anyone is to aim beyond where you think you should'   EPISODE RESOURCES Nicki Hoyne Nicki Hoyne (@nickihoynecollection) • Instagram photos and videos Nicki Hoyne (@nickihoyne) • Instagram photos and videos   ABOUT THE GUEST Nicki Hoyne launched her first collection of crossbody camera bags in October 2020. She followed in 2021 with her footwear collection. Nicki is nominated as “One To Watch” at the Drapers Sustainability Awards 2023. She has been nominated as an Image Businesswoman Of The Year in 2023 & 2022. She won Irish Design Institute's Rising Star 2021 and Runner Up in the Design & Craft Council Of Ireland (DCCI)'s Irish Business Design Challenge 2021. Nicki Hoyne has been stocked at Brown Thomas CREATE in Dublin and in Los Angeles, New York & London. Nicki previously founded award winning online accessories store, My Shining Armour in 2014. It shipped to over 40 countries and appeared in Vogue, Cosmopolitan & Grazia.  She is a TedxTalk speaker and had her own successful podcast, The Hero Podcast sharing inspiring stories. Nicki is passionate about creating meaningful fashion accessories that are fun, unique and comfortable. She wants to inspire you to celebrate and cherish fashion, not just consume it and throw it away.  She created her collection to bring you fun, quality designs with a conscience. We celebrate individuality, vibrancy and a passion for well made, slow fashion products. She hopes to one day have a fully sustainable fashion brand. ABOUT THE HOST Buying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years working for companies such as Primark, M&S, Debenhams and Asda, sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. Nicole now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and small to medium sized business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses as The Buyer And Retail Coach (TM) Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme: thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist   CONTACT METHOD Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com IG https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ Link to my blog https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/ TikTok www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoach LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk Email nicole@thebuyerandretailcoach.com Newsletter https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ Book a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallThis show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Nicole is joined by Sam Smith, the founder of HELLO TIME and the creator of the HELLO TIME Planner that has transformed how people organise their lives. With a keen eye for innovation and a dedication to helping individuals achieve their full potential, Sam has become a leading figure in the world of productivity and time management. She's on Start Scale Succeed to share her story and give you advice on starting a stationery brand. KEY TAKEAWAYS The HELLO TIME Planner offers a practical and intuitive solution for organising your daily life. Its thoughtful layout allows for effortless management of tasks, work schedules, family commitments, to-do lists, notes, goals, and ideas. With its minimal design and adaptable structure, the planner provides ample space to declutter your thoughts, maintain your schedule, store information, jot down reminders, brainstorm ideas, and find clarity. A lot of us are spending our time not doing the things we love, we're often in auto pilot. We have about 4000 weeks on this earth so people need to be organised to avoid wasting that time. That's how HELLO TIME came about, Sam wanted to start a stationery brand that was more than just that, one that helped people and businesses manage their time better. One thing that was important to Sam when launching her brand was that the planner itself was made in the UK and was high quality. She had seen a lot of bright pink planners that didn't look professional and weren't items you'd be proud of. Having manufacturing in the UK allowed her to keep the quality high while also being sustainable and supporting other local businesses. Wholesale can be scary because you have to sell a lot more due to the lower margins, but equally to build a business and a brand you need more people to know about it and you do that by getting the product out there. Not every product needs to go wholesale, be selective about which ones you choose.   BEST MOMENTS ‘After a time of helping others successfully build their brands, I decided to put myself on the other side of the fence' ‘I want to turn it into a brand that helps other people with running their business' ‘You've got everything you need to plan in there, that's its USP'‘I make use of every millimetre on the page so you can use that space' ‘There's no perfect time, at some point you've got to jump'  EPISODE RESOURCES HELLO TIME Planner & Time Gifting StationeryUndated Planners & Time Saving Stationery (@hellotimeplanner) • Instagram photos and videos   ABOUT THE GUEST Sam Smith is an experienced creative and branding specialist with over 27 years of design expertise. As the founder of HELLO TIME and creator of the HELLO TIME Planner, she has worked with various industries, from motorbikes to groceries, collaborating with multinational start-ups and small businesses alike. With a focus on branding for print, digital, and environmental platforms, Sam has partnered with renowned brands like Virgin, Chinawhite, Mars, and McDonald's. Her approach combines creativity and brand-savvy strategies to deliver tangible commercial results. After supporting others in building successful brands, Sam founded HELLO TIME following a period of burnout. Today, HELLO TIME continues to thrive under her leadership, marking four years of progress.   ABOUT THE HOSTBuying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years working for companies such as Primark, M&S, Debenhams and Asda, sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. Nicole now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and small to medium sized business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses as The Buyer And Retail Coach (TM) Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist   CONTACT METHOD Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.comIG https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/Link to my blog https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/TikTok www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoachLinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsukEmail nicole@thebuyerandretailcoach.comNewsletter https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/Book a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallThis show was brought to you by Progressive Media

If you're an existing product business, chances are you'll make an average 50% of your yearly sales in that last quarter, with a substantial part coming in the lead-up to Christmas. How can you capitalise on that and drive more people to your site? Increase your exposure so that people buy more products? Today Nicole is joined by Rosie Davies, founder of PR Dispatch, and they are going to be talking about getting press coverage for your business, particularly focusing on Christmas and getting into gift guides. KEY TAKEAWAYS When pitching your product business to journalists the key thing you need to include is good  imagery. Include high-quality product images or videos that can be used alongside the article, making it more visually appealing. You also want to include some Lifestyle shots and some Behind the Brand shots to show off who you are.  It can be scary reaching out to someone for press coverage but it can be as simple as identifying a journalist who regularly posts features which fit within your niche. Then getting in touch with them and saying what your business does, who you are, and why it's relevant. If you have a personal story to tell the better. This is who I am and how I overcame this problem.  To get your product into the Christmas lists and publications you really need to be pitching yourself in July. Monthly magazines will be compiling between July and September, weekly publications will be compiling between September and the end of October. Then the dailies and online will be compiled from October to just before Christmas.  Look at last year's gift guides, you'll be surprised how many categories your product will actually fit into.  Themes that come up every year are gifts under certain price points, secret Santa gifts, stocking fillers, her, him, kids. You also see changing themes such as in 2020 there were lists for people who had started working from home. Most will be from small businesses but some lists are only small companies or ethical and sustainable brands.  Don't find the contacts yourself, get access to press contacts databases because the person doing the lists will change pretty much every year.  BEST MOMENTS‘You are never ever too small to do PR. You should be doing PR for the lifetime of your business' ‘Journalists are looking for interesting stories and you're helping them'‘Last year there were over 29,000 products featured in Christmas gift guides' ‘About 60% of those products are just from small businesses' ‘It's not about sales, it's about brand awareness' EPISODE RESOURCESPR DispatchRosie | PR Memberships (@prdispatch) • Instagram photos and videosPR Dispatch will be hosting a free workshop on the 29th of June at 10am, covering How to use the summer to get press for Christmas 2023. Register your free place here.Join PR Dispatch for the Christmas gift guide membership tour 10am, on 6th July to to guarantee a 2023 Christmas gift guide PR membership. Book your space on the tour here. You can learn more about PR Dispatch's fastest-selling Christmas gift guide PR membership here.Watch PR Dispatch's ''10 steps to getting your products featured in the Christmas gift guides'' workshop. Access here.Want your e-commerce business to reach thousands of new people this Christmas? PR Dispatch has written this piece explaining how you can, for free. ABOUT THE GUEST Rosie Davies-Smith is the founder of PR Dispatch, the UK's first affordable PR membership platform supporting over 450 product-based e-commerce businesses to do their PR in-house. After running a PR agency for over a decade, Rosie founded PR Dispatch in 2017 to give brands the insights, support and press contacts they need to succeed in PR for just 3% of PR agency retainer fees. Members include startup founders that do it themselves, established brands that delegate their PR to their team and in-house marketing teams at larger e-com businesses. Thousands of pieces of both product and profile press have been generated through PR Dispatch. PR memberships start at £60/mo. ABOUT THE HOSTBuying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist CONTACT METHODBook a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallGET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

How do you actually succeed? How do we create a process in ourselves to allow us to grow and connect with our desires? Nicole is joined on this landmark 100th episode by success coach Charlotte Pridmore who helps entrepreneurial women through positive human design, the combination of human design and positive intelligence. Together they will be discussing how understanding human design can help you in your business. KEY TAKEAWAYS Human Design is a system that combines astrology, the I Ching, the Kabbalah, the chakra system, and quantum physics to understand an individual's unique energetic makeup and life purpose. It provides insights into personality traits, strengths, and ways of functioning in the world. Using birth data, Human Design generates a body graph that guides decision-making, relationships, and personal growth.  In Human Design, there are several different types, each representing a unique energetic blueprint and approach to life. The five main types are: Manifestor: They have a powerful, initiating energy and are here to bring ideas and innovations into the world. Generator: They have a sustainable and abundant life force energy.Projector: They have a focused and penetrating energy, able to deeply understand and guide others. Reflector: They have a highly sensitive and reflective energy. Reflectors are rare, and their role is to mirror the health and well-being of the community they are in.Manifesting Generator: They combine the qualities of Manifestors and Generators. Manifesting Generators have a fast and creative energy, often juggling multiple projects and interests. They are designed to respond to life's opportunities while also initiating action. BEST MOMENTS‘Being inwardly successful allows it to outwardly manifest' ‘My intuition kept pulling me back to it' ‘It's a took to help you understand yourself more and how you work from an energetic perspective'‘I won't push something now, it has to feel good to me' ‘Manifesting generators are like the jet skis, generators are the steamboat'  EPISODE RESOURCESCharlotte PridmoreOne To One - Charlotte PridmoreCHARLOTTE Success Mentor (@charlotte_pridmore) • Instagram photos and videos ABOUT THE HOSTBuying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist CONTACT METHODBook a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallGET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

The first ever guest on Start Scale Succeed, Moira Fuller returns to episode 99 of the podcast to tell Nicole all about how she sold her subscription box business. Moira is a business coach who helps small business owners boost profitability and create breathing space through online and one-to-one coaching. Listen in to find out about the process of selling a small business, how to know when it's the right time to sell, preparing your business for sale, negotiating price, and so much more helpful advice. KEY TAKEAWAYS In Moira's initial approach to selling her business she started with very informal conversations with other businesses who might be interested. It was only after this stage that she had more of a prepared pitch with facts and figures.  Working with a broker was something Moira knew she could do if she needed, but felt that she could do many of the things they offered for a high fee by herself. Many of them were offering to get her three times what she thought the business was worth which she felt was unrealistic.   The valuations for buying a whole business are 2 to 3 times the net profit of the business averaged across the last few years. The idea being that someone can get their investment back within 3 years.  From starting the process to completing the sale it took Moira around 6 months to sell her business. Timescales can vary depending on the scale of the business. You also have to remember that you're going to put hundreds of hours of work into the sale.  When you're looking at selling your business you need to already be implementing systems and processes so the business can run without you. If you are what makes your business work then why would an investor want to buy it and remove you from the picture.  BEST MOMENTS‘I explored working with a broker but it reminded me of working with an estate agent'‘If you can show you have high customer retention, that shows value' ‘I wanted to sell to someone who I knew the team would get on well with' ‘Get your business ready to sell' EPISODE RESOURCESWebsite: https://www.moirafuller.co.uk/Newsletter: https://www.moirafuller.co.uk/newsletterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/moirafuller_ ABOUT THE GUEST Moira Fuller works with small business owners to create more breathing space and profitability in their business, with online and one-to-one coaching.She's run multi-six-figure businesses, including her subscription box, which sent tens of thousands of boxes to her subscribers, but started with just 22 in the first month - grown with profits from the business, before being sold.She coaches an aligned way to grow, giving founders more focus on strategic, exciting projects, and less time on the hamster wheel of day-to-day tasks. ABOUT THE HOSTBuying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist CONTACT METHODBook a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallGET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Today Nicole is joined by Vicky Shilling, The Wellbeing Business Mentor and author of Just Start Now, a guide to unlocking your entrepreneur mindset and growing your wellness business. We are going to be primarily chatting about using email marketing to grow your business and what strategies you can use. Listen in for tips on how to convert subscribers into paying customers, strategies for increasing email open and click-through rates, what to avoid in email marketing, and so much more. KEY TAKEAWAYS Having your own mailing list is your way of having your own data on your customers and potential customers. It's your own way of communicating with them and is entirely yours as opposed to social media where you're at the mercy of someone else's decisions and changes to the algorithm.   Vicky's top 5 tips for growing your list are: 1. Incentive - Entice people to join the list with some kind of freebie or discount or some content with added value. If it is content, does it solve a problem they have?  2. Talk about that incentive everywhere - Make sure all of your potential audience knows about this and what your list can offer them. Put it on your socials and in your podcast ect.  3. Get in front of new people - Once your current audience knows about your incentive, how can you push that to a new set of people? 4. Send really great emails - Your list will grow if people are finding it useful and people within your circle are sharing it. We need to know the person on the other side of the email and curate the content towards them and their needs.  5. Concentrated effort - Plan specific timings for when you're really pushing your email list, this could be monthly, quarterly, when you have a new incentive, make pushing your list a real focus for a period of time.  Success requires persistence, the people you see achieving their version of success in life and in their chosen fields. They are the people who just keep going, for Vicky it's only 20% skill and 80% being able to pick yourself back up again.  BEST MOMENTS‘A really good email is one that serves the customer you're trying to help' ‘You need to believe in yourself to make it work'‘If social media disappeared tomorrow you'd have no way of contacting those people' ‘Even in 2023 it's still the most effective online marketing method' EPISODE RESOURCESHomepage: Business mentor for wellness entrepreneurs | Vicky Shilling52 ways to grow your email listPodcast: Just Start Now Podcast - Vicky ShillingBook: https://vickyshilling.com/bookInstagram: https://instagram.com/vicky.shillingFacebook: Vicky ShillingLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickyshilling ABOUT THE GUEST Vicky Shilling is the Wellness Business Mentor, helping health practitioners turn their expertise into income. She is dedicated to making wellbeing solopreneurship as simple and supported as possible in a world of advice overwhelm. She shares tips and straight-talking action steps through her Just Start Now book and award nominated podcast, community and 1:1 mentoring. Vicky is a respected voice in the world of business for health professionals and guest teaches at many of the nutrition and health colleges including the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM), IINH and the Institute for Optimum Nutrition (ION), where her book is on many of the recommended reading lists. She is a regular guest on podcasts and speaks at wellness based events in the UK, Ireland and online about turning your passion for health into a career, including Thrive Festival and Fitness & Wellness Summit in Dublin and The Nutrition Society and Nutrition Graduates online. ABOUT THE HOSTBuying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist CONTACT METHODBook a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallGET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Today Nicole is joined on Start Scale Succeed by Jason Withers, a Certified Profit First Professional Coach and the only officially recognised Profit First Guide for the UK. They dive into the topic of using the Profit First cash management system in your business to maximise profitability. Drawing from his 25+ years of commercial experience as a business coach, consultant, and CFO, Jason shares valuable insights and strategies for implementing Profit First. KEY TAKEAWAYS The Profit First cash management system is a financial framework developed by Mike Michalowicz. It aims to help businesses prioritise profitability and improve their financial health. The system advocates for setting aside profit first rather than considering it as an afterthought. The core concept is based on the idea of allocating income into different bank accounts, each serving a specific purpose. These accounts include, in order of priority are Profit, Owner's Compensation, Tax, and Operating Expenses. So they are reward based first, then protection based, then service based last.  Profit First provides a clear and practical framework for business owners to manage their finances effectively. It helps in creating a healthy financial ecosystem where profit becomes a priority, allowing businesses to thrive and grow. By implementing the Profit First system, businesses ensure that profit is protected and allocated before any expenses are paid. This approach encourages business owners to focus on profitability and make intentional financial decisions. It helps to ensure that the business is consistently profitable and sustainable. The system also emphasises cash flow management and expense control. By examining expenses closely and making necessary adjustments, businesses can better allocate resources and increase their overall profitability. Vital, Negotiable, and Cut is a productivity concept used to categorise tasks based on their importance and priority. Vital tasks are high-priority activities directly contributing to goals, while negotiable tasks are important but flexible. Cut tasks are low-value or non-essential activities that should be minimised or eliminated. BEST MOMENTS‘Turnover is vanity and profit is sanity' ‘Business owners don't pay themselves what they should because they don't trust the money in their bank account'‘It's about understanding where we are and moving towards those targets' ‘No business misses 1%' EPISODE RESOURCESInstagram Facebook - Profit First Pro - Jason WithersJason A Withers ABOUT THE GUEST Jason is a Certified Profit First Professional Coach since 2019, specialising in helping owner-managed and entrepreneurial businesses implement the Profit First cash management system. With over 25 years of commercial experience as a business coach, consultant, and CFO, he helps business owners improve profitability through strategic and tactical financial support. As the only officially recognized Profit First Guide for the UK, Jason mentors and coaches other UK-based Profit First Professionals. He empowers business owners to gain clarity, certainty, and mastery over their money using the Profit First system, enabling them to prioritise paying themselves and make informed financial decisions for accelerated growth and profitability. Jason believes that every business owner deserves to be financially rewarded for their efforts, providing them with greater choices and a positive impact on their personal, business, and social life. ABOUT THE HOSTBuying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist CONTACT METHODBook a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallGET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

In today's episode we have The Buyer and Retail Coach, Nicole Higgins, taking us through what we as small businesses can learn from large corporations. We'll be discussing why research is crucial to our businesses (00:00- 21:11), how to market like a big business (21:12-41:08) and in this episode's Question of the Week, we're asking Nicole how she'd build anticipation for a launch (41:09-49:24).To keep up to date with me, follow me on Instagram @thewingingitpodcast and @lucyhitchcock_. And my businesses @sassydigital and @partnerinwineuk.And find Nicole on Instagram @thebuyerandretailcoach, or via her website at: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/As mentioned in the episode:Helen Perry email marketing course: https://www.helen-perry.co.uk/newsletter-launchpad/Nicole's Podcast Start Scale Succeed - https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/podcast/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Founder of the Sleep Care Company, Anne Marie Boyhan joins Nicole on this episode of Start Scale Succeed to discuss the importance of sleep and how better sleep leads to more success as an entrepreneur. Anne Marie shares her own personal story with sleep and tells you how you can improve your quality of rest to help you achieve and succeed in business.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Exposure to blue light (and white light, which contains blue light) can make it difficult for you to fall asleep and stay asleep. Exposure to white light during the day can have positive effects, including boosting alertness and mood. Some of our most important ‘heavy lifting' while sleeping is done between 10:30 pm and midnight. This produces our growth hormone which affects beauty sleep, cell repair, and fat breakdown. Beauty sleep isn't just a saying.  Between 1 and 3 am our liver is doing a lot of its detoxifying which is vital for cleaning our bodies. If we're not getting sleep during those hours then it's like your office isn't being cleaned overnight.  The signs that you might be sleep deprived are brain fog, a hangover feeling, hunger even after eating, and not having enough concentration to get through daily tasks. When you don't get enough sleep it also releases stress in your body.  Most of us can't just jump into bed and sleep, we know that we need a buffer of time to wind down and get ready for sleep. This could be as simple as lighting a candle and listening to a podcast, doing some reading, or just brushing your teeth. The routine triggers your brain to think it's time to sleep.  If you want to sleep well then avoid coffee and tea, even if your last cup was at 4om, it will stay in your body until 11pm. Swap them out for decaf versions in the evening and afternoon. You should also avoid vigorous exercise which raises your body temperature before bed.  BEST MOMENTS ‘To set ourselves up for sleep success should be our number one goal in our wellbeing'  ‘If you have less than 4 hours sleep then it's like you're going to work drunk' ‘If we look at the top athletes in the world, they prioritise sleep to increase their performance'  ‘Within an hour of waking get sunlight into your eyes'  EPISODE RESOURCES The Sleep Care Company The Sleep Care Co. (@thesleepcarecompany) • Instagram photos and videosABOUT THE GUEST “A few years ago my only focus in life was excelling professionally at my corporate career in marketing. It's something I had worked hard for my entire life. I was working for C-Suite executives but I was burning the candle at both ends - I had young kids at home whom I never saw as I was working so much and was ‘always on' working late into the night, often responding to emails in the middle of the night and managing a team in a stressful job during the day.  I lived on coffee to keep my energy going and in a bid to try and wind down I'd often have wine after work and always felt tired and wired. All of the time my sleep suffered- I was lucky if I slept 4 hours a night. My insomnia was relentless. One day I fell over, I couldn't focus and went to my doctor who ran some blood tests on me. When my bloods came back ‘all clear' over the phone he told me that I was sleep deprived and was burning out. That was the kick I needed. What I realised was what I wanted was to have a career where I was able to prioritise my family.” ABOUT THE HOSTBuying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist CONTACT METHODBook a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallGET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Today Nicole is chatting to Lucy Hitchcock founder of not just one business, but two, service business Sassy Digital and pandemic born business Partner in Wine. In 2021 Lucy posted a viral video on TikTok, racking up half a million views in 12 hours and saw an item in her store selling every two minutes. Sales increased by 1,700 percent in a single day, which turned into sustained five-digit revenue every month. She's on Start Scale Succeed to tell the story of how that happened and the journey that took her there. KEY TAKEAWAYS Lucy, who was 23 years old at the time, resigned from her job and started working with small businesses to improve their digital marketing, branding, and website design as well as e-commerce strategies. As a result, she has helped countless small businesses in boosting their online sales. In the midst of the worldwide pandemic, Lucy came up with the idea of producing an insulated wine bottle and tumbler. This idea was sparked by her disappointment with a lukewarm glass of wine while enjoying time with her closest friend in the park. The aim was to help herself and other wine enthusiasts enjoy a socially distanced drink in the park more comfortably. During March 2021, Lucy shared her journey on TikTok, resulting in a viral video that hit 500,000 views within 12 hours and triggered a sale every two minutes. This led to a 1,700% surge in sales in a single day, which was sustained in the following months, generating five-figure revenue each month. Partner in Wine had generated £30,000 in 2020. By the end of 2021, this number had skyrocketed to over 8 times the initial figure. One of Lucy's key pieces of advice is that using someone else's expertees allows the job to be done in a fraction of the time it would have taken you to do. This also means that in a product business, the product can get to market quicker and start generating revenue for you quicker. BEST MOMENTS ‘I get my positivity from both of my parents, they say not to worry about things that haven't happened yet' ‘What do you do when you're super busy? You start another business of course' ‘I would account the success of the business to being in the right place and the right time' ‘If you don't love your idea then don't do it as a business' EPISODE RESOURCE Viral Video Partner in Wine Sassy Digital ABOUT THE GUEST Lucy Hitchcock is an entrepreneur, marketeer and Founder of Sassy Digital and Partner in Wine. After leaving her job at 23 years old to work with small businesses on their digital marketing, branding and website and e-commerce design, she's since helped hundreds of small businesses make more sales online. During the global pandemic, after a disappointingly warm glass of wine in the park with her best friend, Lucy decided to create an insulated wine bottle and tumbler to help her and so many other wine lovers enjoy a socially distanced drink in the park. Since starting the business, and using her marketing expertise to grow a large social media following and most importantly sales, in just 16 months Partner in Wine has quickly become Sassy Digital's best case study. In March 2021, Lucy shared her story on TikTok, leading to a viral video which racked up half a million views in 12 hours and saw an item selling every two minutes. Sales increased by 1,700 percent in a single day, which turned into sustained five-digit revenue every month. In 2020, after five months of launching, Partner in Wine had turned over £30,000. By the end of 2021, this figure was over 8 times that. Lucy and her businesses have been profiled by the BBC News, Mail Online, Business Insider, The Sun, Daily Express, and was featured in TikTok's Year on TikTok 2021 list. She has since worked with a number of brands on partnerships including Waitrose, SAGE for business, Royal Mail for Business, Aldi, and Adobe. ABOUT THE HOSTBuying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist CONTACT METHODBook a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallGET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

In this episode, we talk about: How adding products to your wellness business helps you create awareness, adds an income stream and establishes you as an expert  The different ways to add products to your offering depending on your goals and investment What stops you adding products to your business - primarily not knowing where to start and feeling it's overwhelming (and how to overcome that feeling)! Nicole breaks down the steps into: Checking your product idea matches with your business Identifying what products you want Researching the market Market research your audience Finding suppliers and knowing what questions to ask For episode show notes, resources and links, head to Just Start Now Podcast - Vicky Shilling Love this podcast? Want to go deeper? Join the Just Start Now course and community for wellness business owners.   Any questions about this episode or the Just Start Now community drop me an email (hi@vickyshilling.com), send me a DM on Instagram or book in a chat here. 

In this episode, we talk about: How adding products to your wellness business helps you create awareness, adds an income stream and establishes you as an expert  The different ways to add products to your offering depending on your goals and investment What stops you adding products to your business - primarily not knowing where to start and feeling it's overwhelming (and how to overcome that feeling)! Nicole breaks down the steps into: Checking your product idea matches with your business Identifying what products you want Researching the market Market research your audience Finding suppliers and knowing what questions to ask For episode show notes, resources and links, head to Just Start Now Podcast - Vicky Shilling Love this podcast? Want to go deeper? Join the Just Start Now course and community for wellness business owners.   Any questions about this episode or the Just Start Now community drop me an email (hi@vickyshilling.com), send me a DM on Instagram or book in a chat here. 

Do you want to launch a beauty brand in the UK? Or perhaps you already have one and are looking to grow that business? This week's episode of Start Scale Succeed is a recording of a live webinar Nicole hosted with four beauty experts where they spoke about brand identity, PR, pitching to retailers, customer reviews and testimonials and how they can help you with your business, and so much more.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Brand identity goes beyond just your logo, just because you have a product and a logo it doesn't make a brand. Brand ID is about crafting a DNA that goes beyond the here and now and leaves a lasting impression on your customer even after purchase. You can build a relationship between your brand and your customer by using social listening, being authentic with your content, promoting your founder story to let people connect with your story. Passion, purpose, and honesty are all things that can drive a community. The relationships between brands and consumers have changed in many ways. People are now more likely to share their love and promote a brand they align with, with no incentive from the brands' side. Consumers are now also much more intelligent when it comes to buying from brands, they pick up on the ethics and social presence in a way which was never considered before. The Three C's for social growth are valuable content, connection, and consistency. You need to be aware of how your brand and message are getting out there and if they are actually being understood when they're seen. When using product testers for the first time, send them to a wide range of people so you can find out who really loves the product and connects with it. This can be very useful for beauty brands because people's needs are often different, and you can build a niche around the feedback. Margin percentages can vary from between 40/45 percent for indie boutiques to 60 percent in the larger retailers. Look at what they're offering you for that percentage and get another set of eyes and ears to help you decide if that works for you. BEST MOMENTS ‘Disproportionate passion builds a brand, the killer of a brand is indifference' ‘Indie brands drive communities, bigger brands drive fan bases' ‘Think of your PR as your brand storyteller' ‘Consumers are driven by information, education, and emotion' EPISODE RESOURCES Wendy Slattery www.poweredxbeautybuddy.com www.instagram.com/thebeautybuddyapp Jacqui Ripley www.instagram.com/jacquiripley Faye Speedie https://beautybulb.co.uk/ www.instagram.com/beautybulb Linda Land www.musecomms.co.uk www.instagram.com@muse_communications ABOUT THE HOSTBuying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist CONTACT METHODBook a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallGET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Today Nicole is joined by Laura Nolan Horgan, founder of LNH EDIT. This is a bit of a 360 podcast as Nicole chatted with Laura just as she launched her brand in Episode 9, now they catch up 2 years on. They'll be discussing how the business has grown in that time, Laura's biggest successes so far, as well as keeping a positive mentality as a business owner.  KEY TAKEAWAYS LNH EDIT is a creative collection of fashion and homeware. Laura believes that every home and every person should surround themselves with little things that make them happy, so that's why she started LNH EDIT two years ago.  Not everyone's business plan works out exactly as they had hoped for. Laura has had to bring in additional support to fill in the gaps in her skill set earlier than she had planned for. Right now she has brought in someone else to run her Instagram page to get the most out of it. She also brought in help packing orders as it was taking up too much of her time.  Laura initially wanted to be an online focused business with occasional pop up stores. In the time since she was last on the podcast she has opened a HQ for LNH EDIT which is the business hub as well as a showroom. This space can be used for easy cost effective pop ups which she also invites other people to be involved with.  Laura thinks that setting up the HQ cottage is her biggest achievement so far and can see how much it's helped her business keep up with orders and having everything under one roof.  LNH EDIT launch their seasonal products well in advance, the Christmas items go live before Halloween. This means that the items have longer to sell and Laura is left with less stock left over.  Remember that you own your email lists, if the social media you use went out of business tomorrow, you'd lose your connection to your customers. But if you properly grow your email lists you have direct communication to them without a third party being involved.  BEST MOMENTS ‘We were up until 1am in our kitchen fulfilling orders so we had to bring in help'  ‘It's nice being a smaller business because you can pivot when you need to' ‘People want new all the time, I'm always looking to what's next' ‘Our email marketing is bigger than Instagram now' EPISODE RESOURCES www.lnhedit.com www.instagram.com/lauranolanhorgan www.instagram.com/lnh_edit ABOUT THE HOSTBuying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist CONTACT METHODBook a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallGET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Return guest Roo Davies, The Mojo Coach, joins Nicole today on Start Scale Succeed to discuss imposter syndrome. They'll be talking about what imposter syndrome is, how it can show up, how it can sabotage you and your business, and most importantly what you can do about it. Find out what the 5 types of imposter syndrome are, how to spot them, and how to move away from them towards having a killer mindset.  KEY TAKEAWAYS There are 5 types of imposter syndrome, first is The Perfectionist - “Perfectionism” is often listed as a key indicator of imposter syndrome, so it's common that people who experience one also experience the other. Perfectionists typically set very high expectations for themselves and that even if they meet 99% of those goals, a small loss will feel like a large failure. When mistakes happen, perfectionists question their core competence, which can easily translate to feelings of imposter syndrome. The Natural Genius - The “natural genius” has been top of the class for as long as they can remember, and in their school days, success came relatively easily. As they grow and mature, however, they are bound to encounter scenarios where achievement doesn't present itself as second nature, and hard work or struggle is required for their desired results. As they aren't used to this, natural geniuses tend to suffer from imposter syndrome, feeling that the struggle to meet their goals is a sign that they lack ability and aren't “good enough.” The Expert - If you're an “expert” type, you probably prefer to spend time researching and gathering as much information as possible before you start a new project. You like to come into something new from a position of knowledge and expertise, and you probably regularly spend time looking for ways to improve your skill set or undergo extra training. However, this drive to become an “expert” can trigger imposter syndrome, holding you back from applying for jobs if you don't meet all the criteria in the description, or preventing you from speaking up in a seminar because you're afraid that your answer won't be perfectly informed. The Superhero - “Superheroes” push themselves to work harder than everyone around them to prove that they're not imposters. Their expectations for themselves are higher than their expectations of others, and they feel a sometimes overwhelming need to succeed in every element of their life – at work and at home. Their feelings of imposter syndrome will be triggered when one of these areas is not as strong as another. Working harder than others to prove your worthiness, or to cover up feelings of being an imposter, can quickly lead to burnout, and be detrimental to your mental health. The Soloist - These kinds of “imposters” struggle to reach out when they need assistance, as they feel getting help with a task invalidates their contribution or shows that their own skillset is in some way lacking. Knowing when to ask for help is a vital skill, not only in work but in life too. Asking for help is never a weakness – in fact, knowing ourselves well enough to understand when help is required can be one of our greatest strengths. It's far more efficient, after all, to ask for help with a task than it is to spend twice as long struggling through by ourselves. The most useful thing of quieting your imposter syndrome voice is to be aware of it. People focus on the outcome, the fear itself, but you need to be thinking about what is causing those thoughts. What is causing that negative mental chatter? Start small with baby steps, it doesn't need to be within your business, you can learn to tackle these things in everyday life first.  BEST MOMENTS ‘Perfectionism and procrastination are best friends'  ‘Imposter syndrome affects over 70% of us in our lifetime'  ‘You can do anything, but you can't do everything' ‘How are you sabotaging yourself? What opportunities are you missing out on?' EPISODE RESOURCES www.instagram.com/roodavies_themojocoach  www.themojocoach.com Imposter Syndrome Is Real – Here's How to Kick it the Curb - The Mojo Coach ABOUT THE GUEST  Roo Davies is the go-to coach in the UK if you want to find your Passion, Positivity & Purpose. If you're looking to rediscover your mojo, build your confidence and make things happen, she's your gal!  Roo is a pretty unique coach as she wears a few hats… Life Coach, Business Coach, Leadership Coach, Strengths Coach and a Mentor. Whatever hat she's wearing she helps her clients thrive in their personal, professional and business life. Roo is a qualified behavioural change coach, holds a PG Cert in Coaching and is accredited with the Institute of Leadership & Management and the Association for Coaching. ABOUT THE HOSTBuying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist CONTACT METHODBook a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallGET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Today on Start Scale Succeed, Nicole is talking to Martin Durrant, mental resilience and wellbeing advocate and the founder of Out of The Grey. They'll be chatting and giving you advice on building resilience, managing stress, and coping strategies. You'll also get to hear Martin's incredible story of fighting off illness all while keeping a positive mindset. KEY TAKEAWAYS In 2014 after 8 years of things going wrong with his body, Martin was finally diagnosed with MS. He felt this was a relief because he finally knew what was wrong with him and through finding the charity Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis, he was able to change his life for the better, not just with his health but also his diet and mental wellbeing. In 2021 Martin was told he had a brain tumour and because of its location, although it was operable, after surgery he'd be paralysed on his left-hand side. Martin had to learn to eat, walk, and talk again. Martin is actually grateful that he had MS, because if it wasn't for this and his yearly brain scans, he would never have known about the tumour and lived to tell his story. When he was on the ward recovering from his surgery, Martin was the cheerleader, cheering up and keeping his fellow patients spirits high. From this experience he decided that's what he wanted to do for a living. Mental resilience is the ability to bounce back and not dwell on a situation. If something bad happens, it's okay to feel sad, resilience is the ability to get back out of that state after an appropriate amount of time. You can have depression and have good mental resilience, that resilience allows you to identify your feelings and actually gives you the ability to seek help easier and faster. Create an environment where you are looking after yourself first and foremost. Diet, exercise, having a positive mental attitude, these things do actually improve your mental health. Even if it's just a 15 minute walk or fitting some meditation into your day. If you give acts of kindness, it releases serotonin into your brain and makes you feel good. It doesn't have to be a huge action, even small ones can have a big impact. BEST MOMENTS ‘You should be your biggest fan, not your biggest critic' ‘7 - 11 breathing is my number one trick' ‘I've never been a victim, I've never let my mindset be that' ‘Be kind to yourself, trust yourself, you've got the abilities' ‘I was more worried about not being able to drive than having a brain tumour' EPISODE RESOURCES Overcoming MS Martin on LinkedIn ABOUT THE HOSTBuying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist CONTACT METHODBook a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallGET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Today's episode of Start Scale Succeed  is a recording of an instagram with Louisa Tidy, the founder of Floragy, a natural skincare brand founded in 2019. Louisa started the company looking to rebalance her life after an exhausting retail career travelling and working too many hours. After a few years of testing and developing formulas, she launched Floragy with the ethos that ‘less is more' keeping their ingredients to a minimum and using only key botanicals. KEY TAKEAWAYS Louisa suffered from dry skin but as she got older she found she needed extra protection during the colder months. After some extensive research and experimenting, Louisa created recipes for skincare products which her skin reacted well to and she preferred over her usual products.  As a smaller brand you don't have the buying power to source the products and work with suppliers that fit into your standards and ethics at a price you can afford.  Etsy charges a percentage of your total sales but one of the advantages to using it is that there are no contracts between you and the website so you're free to sell elsewhere too.  The biggest challenge Louisa has faced is not knowing where to spend money. Does she spend more on the website or on photography, what is going to give her the best return for her investment.  Make sure you have confidence in what you're doing, your product, and your service. Don't be tempted to get lost in what your competitors are doing, if you're getting good feedback then keep focused on your brand ideals.  BEST MOMENTS‘There's always more we can do to work with local suppliers' ‘Putting your brand out there is like putting yourself out there personally' ‘I'm not as much of a risk taker as I'd like to think'  EPISODE RESOURCESFloragy Skincare ABOUT THE GUEST "I was exhausted after a full on career travelling and working too many hours and wanted to take some time to rebalance my life. I'd always suffered from dry skin but as I've got older I've found I need extra protection during the colder months. After some extensive research and experimenting I created a few recipes for skincare products which my skin reacted well to, and I preferred over my usual products. I noticed how expensive natural skincare could be to buy and wanted to create a range of products which were accessible to everyone while maintaining a natural ingredient list which was easy to understand." ABOUT THE HOSTBuying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist CONTACT METHODBook a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallGET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Today's episode is centred around giving you advice on growing your business with ChatGPT. To do that Nicole is joined on Start Scale Succeed by founder of Mother Cuppa Tea, Candice Mason. If you're new to AI, then this is the perfect place to start as we'll be discussing what ChatGPT is, what it can do for your business, how to use it, and what its limitations are.  KEY TAKEAWAYS When Candice launched Mother Cuppa Tea she was aware that she had to build an audience through a pre-launch strategy. This led her to doing the social media marketing including the planning, captioning, editing. She had help from two other people writing blogs and writing content for the website. That is a lot of hours of work for three people to do, which could have been reduced with AI. ChatGPT is a website powered by artificial intelligence that can write content for you on almost any subject for any format you need. It is popular above other similar services because you can add a tone or style to the pieces it creates.  Candice personally likes to use Jasper, rather than ChatGPT because it suits her needs and personal style. There are so many companies doing AI generated content now, even Canva.  You can use services like ChatGPT to generate keywords for you and do research into your potential audience in the pre-launch phase of your business. You can literally go on there and type ‘what do people who like herbal tea also like' and it will give you information you can use.  You can spend anywhere from £25 to £300 for someone to write a blog for you, but by using AI and then editing in her own personality, Candice publishes two blog posts a week taking a fraction of the time at no cost.  Google Search Console is a free service offered by Google that helps you monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your site's presence in Google Search results. BEST MOMENTS ‘I knew nothing about keywords before I started this business' ‘Even though it is creating a lot of the content, I'm going back and adding in my own personality' ‘I'm using this to give Google as much information as possible to boost my rankings' ‘Don't be scared of AI, it's not going away it's just getting better' EPISODE RESOURCES Mother Cuppa Tea https://www.instagram.com/mother_cuppatea/ AI links  https://www.jasper.ai/ https://chatgpt.com/#/ https://www.canva.com/magic-write/ https://answerthepublic.com/ https://search.google.com/search-console/about ABOUT THE GUEST  “I am Candice, founder of Mother Cuppa - and yes, it's an intentional play on words! I am mother to a stroppy but adorable teen and wife to James, a husband who has yet to fully learn how to turn the washing machine on and whose idea of cooking dinner is re-heating something I made the night before!  Like many of you I seem to be in a state of semi-midlife crisis, when children are growing, hormones are changing and yet the pace of life appears to get busier.  I wanted to use my knowledge from training as a tea sommelier and my interest in plant power to help other women, just like me and to establish something for myself, that inspires me, fits with my values and that I 100% believe in!” ABOUT THE HOSTBuying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist CONTACT METHODBook a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycallGET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

In this special episode for International Women's Day, The Good GP interviews RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins on the topic of female leadership in general practice.

GPs blast 'out-of-control' pharmacists A war of words has erupted between the peak bodies for general practitioners and community pharmacy owners, with one side accused of whipping up a media frenzy after they labelled the other out of control. The confrontation was sparked by reporting of a speech given by Pharmacy Guild president Trent Twomey, who allegedly labelled GPs "twits" who allowed their sector to become commercialised. In his speech to students in Canberra, Professor Twomey pushed for pharmacists to be given greater powers to prescribe medications. "We do not support, at the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, being able to only prescribe if someone else is looking over my shoulder," Prof Twomey said, according to reporting in the Australian Journal of Pharmacy. "You don't see a plumber needing to look over the shoulder of an electrician before they put in your air conditioner." He went on to explore the benefits of pharmacists being able to prescribe, dispense, administer and review medications. The president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners said the speech was nothing short of astonishing. "The Pharmacy Guild is out of control," Dr Nicole Higgins said in a statement. he said the speech should send a shiver down the spines of politicians everywhere. "The language used, the brazen way he addresses very serious health care issues and the underlying arrogance informing this speech demonstrates that the Pharmacy Guild should be approached warily." This is just my opinion. PS: If you enjoy my content, I will think of you while drinking my coffee. – Buy Me a Coffee The Slippery Slope Spotify J Fallon Apple Music J Fallon Spotify J Fallon YouTube The Slippery Slope Apple Podcasts The Slippery Slope YouTube The Slippery Slope Stitcher --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jason-fallon/message

Today my guest on the podcast is Nicole Higgins. Nicole has worked as a buyer and head of buying for over 18 years for retailers such as Primark, M&S,  Debenhams and George at Asda, gaining experience in buying, product development, strategy and leadership and global sourcing. In 2020 she established the Buyer and Retail Coach to help small businesses start and scale their product business and increase their sales and profits. Nicole reveals her top tips from developing and launching your brand, to how to grow and scale your business, and common mistakes to avoid. There is so much knowledge here, and Nicole shares a range of excellent resources I know that you will want to investigate. Whether you are starting out, or looking to take the next step in your business, there are lots of takeaways actions in this episode. Listen in to hear Nicole share: An introduction to herself and her business (01:04) Learnings from working with big brands that can be applied to small brands (02:26) The advantages of being a smaller brand  (04:31) The importance of outsourcing (05:13) The first step to take when developing your product (07:26) Pre-work to do before finding a supplier (09:38) Questions to consider when choosing a supplier (11:08) Pricing (13:33) How to have a successful product launch (17:08) Why Tik Tok is a great platform for a product business (21:48) Great resources for PR tips (26:05) How to successfully grow and scale your business (28:18) Common mistakes to avoid (34:01) Her number one piece of advice for other product creators (38:42) USEFUL RESOURCES: Nicole Higgins: http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ (The Buyer & Retail Coach Website) http://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach (The Buyer & Retail Coach Instagram) https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/podcast/ (The Buyer & Retail Coach Podcast) FREE RESOURCE: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/questionstoasksuppliers/ (Questions to ask suppliers when starting your business) Brands & Resources mentioned: Adam Frisby -  https://www.inthestyle.com/ (In The Style) Katie Tucker - https://www.instagram.com/productjungle/ (Product Jungle) https://www.commonobjective.co/ (Common Objective) https://www.alibaba.com/ (Alibaba) https://pantee.co.uk/ (Pantee) https://mailchimp.com/en-gb/ (Mailchimp) https://www.klaviyo.com/ (Klaviyo) https://www.launchrock.com/ (Launchrock) Fiona Minett - http://bossyourpr (Boss Your PR) Lucy Werner - https://www.thewern.com/hype-yourself (Hype Yourself) https://www.facebook.com/groups/lightbulbhangout/about/ (Lightbulb Facebook Group) LET'S CONNECT https://www.facebook.com/groups/productcreatorsclub (Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators) https://www.instagram.com/vickiweinberguk/ (Find me on Instagram) http://www.vickiweinberg.com (Work with me)

Sign Up for a 3 Hour 1:1 Side Hustle Manifest Sesh where you can gain Clarification on your Procrastinations. Far too much energy is lost in this stage of stagnancy. I will propel you forward with clear goals and strategy to achieve them. I am BEYOND excited to work with other mums in this area - there is so much GOLD to unlock within you, you just need to be asked the right questions at the right time and together we can navigate how to make your side hustle the success it deserves to be.Joining me on the Podcast today is Nicole Higgins, a fellow business coach and founder of the brand @thebuyerandretailcoach. Nicole's background was in retail and buying and she transitioned her expertise to building a coaching business where she helps entrepreneurs start and scale their product businesses. Nicole has been in business for approximately 3 years and shares some actionable strategies for going about setting up your business. We spoke about the importance of research during the early days of your business development  and some useful websites for performing this research mentioned during the episode were:answerthepublic.comreddit.comquora.comNicole also spoke about some courses that she attended, so a shout out to @deborahogrady and @lucysheridan as these were programmes which Nicole found helpful throughout the lifetime of her business. It is a firm belief of mine that investing in yourself is an investment in your business. I know that you are going to enjoy this episode and take tons of value away from it for the business development days in your business!Are you a mum considering starting your side hustle?Or have you begun your online business and you are searching for your tribe of other mums with similar goals & aspirations?Wondering how you can grow and maybe even turn your side hustle into a full hustle?Then you are in the RIGHT place!!! Connect with me on Instagram @sidehustlemums where I LOVE meeting & connecting with other mums in business. 

Welcome to the Cracking Content Podcast, helping entrepreneurs to amplify their expertise through storytelling, content, and PR so they can get more sales and make a bigger impact. Every business has a story to tell. Don't be afraid to tell it. This week I am delighted to be talking to Nicole Higgins, who's the buyer and retail coach. We'll be talking about using physical products, even if you're a service-based industry or entrepreneur, how people have got new product lines and of course how Nicole uses content in her business. Episode Highlights: {1:34} Nicole takes about her change in career and why she set up The Buyer & Retail Coach in 2019. {2:33} On how people have had to pivot their businesses during lockdown and had the time to think about how they want their businesses to grow. {4:14} On the products service-based businesses can offer to their clients. {4:16} On how launching products can create great content.  {8:06} Tips on how to create and release products for your business.  {11:10} Nicole describes the types of content she likes creating. {13:58} On why repurposing your content is really helpful and important for your business. {17:06} On why you should outsource so you can save time and stay motivated.    Connect with Claire:  You can download my free PR guide here https://clairewinter.info/freebies/be-your-own-pr/  To find out about 1:1 content coaching go www.clairewinter.info. Free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crackingcontent/ Website: https://clairewinter.info/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairewinteruk  To get your content sorted join the Cracking Content Club Membership for just £35 a month: https://clairewinter.info/cracking-content-club/ About Nicole: The Buyer and Retail Coach Nicole is a retail expert with over 18 years experience working in the fashion industry as a buyer for big blue chip retail developing and sourcing product from all over the world and working on product strategy for big business. She now brings that expertise to entrepreneurs & SME and helps them make their product ideas a reality and works with them to increase sales & profits.  Connect with Nicole: Website: www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk