Podcasts about not on the high street

In our first episode of season three we are joined by Ella d'Amato, CEO and co-founder of social commerce platform ‘i love it'. We discussed Ella's career journey from leaving school at 15 to becoming the interim CEO of Not On The High Street, how i love it enables users to earn commissions for recommending products they actually love, and what the future of social commerce may look like.

In December, we take a break from recording new episodes and re-release the most loved episodes from the year. So if you haven't listened to this episode before, enjoy - and if you have, enjoy again. It's simply impossible to juggle a million and one things at once. This week, founder of Holly & co. and Not On The High Street, Holly Tucker, sits down with Zoe to talk about how mothers need to take it one step at a time. She also speaks about her journey into business and what she'd advise for new entrepreneurs. Click Here to order your copy of 'Motherkind: A New way to thrive in a world of endless expectations' and gain access to a free 60 minute masterclass with Zoe - teaching the core principles of the book. This show is proudly sponsored by Stokke Shop Sambucol at Boots.com Get 15% off OneSkin with the code MOTHERKIND at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod Continue the Conversation: Join our community over on Instagram for inspiration, tips, and sometimes a bit of humour to get us through our day - @zoeblaskey Join our mailing list to receive news, updates and new episode releases Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today's episode, we're joined by Ruth Sturdy, founder of Colour Chronicles—a company dedicated to creating modern, guided memory journals for every age and stage, with a strong focus on inclusivity. Ruth's vision is to celebrate and honour every family, regardless of their unique makeup.Ruth shares how she identified a gap in the market for journals that didn't assume traditional family structures, such as “mum and dad” or two sets of grandparents. By addressing this need, Colour Chronicles aims to avoid isolating families or leaving gaps in their memories.We also dive into the journey of growing Colour Chronicles, from designing and printing journals with beautiful fabric covers to expanding the product range. Ruth discusses how the business has evolved from a kitchen-table operation to partnering with a fulfilment centre, and scaling from selling to friends in NCT groups to using a digital marketing agency.Ruth highlights her experiences as part of the Santander mentoring program, which helped her build a team and bring in expertise for platforms like Shopify and Klaviyo. She also talks about the challenges and opportunities that came with transitioning from Squarespace to Shopify, adapting to shifts in the market—once dominated by Not On The High Street and Etsy —to now finding success on platforms like TikTok Shop, Amazon FBA..The Bring Your Product Idea to Life Podcast - Best Business Podcast Award, Independent Podcast Awards 2023USEFUL RESOURCES:Colour Chronicles Website Colour Chronicles Instagram Colour Chronicles Facebook This episode is sponsored by Therese Oertenblad & Small Business CollaborativeTherese Oertenblad (Ørtenblad), works with purpose-led, product-based business owners who want to grow their wholesale and create a powerful, consistent income stream for their business. Therese's mission is to help you find joy, ease and confidence in selling so you can build a profitable business that works for your lifestyle.Small Business Collaborative WebsiteSmall Business Collaborative InstagramPodcast: Let's Talk Shop Small Business Collaborative on FacebookLet's Talk Wholesale Facebook groupLET'S CONNECTJoin my free Facebook group for product makers and creatorsFollow me on YouTubeFind me on InstagramWork with me

Motherkind Moment is your place for calm and connection and a shift in perspective before the week ahead. This week, founder of Holly & co. and Not On The High Street, Holly Tucker, sits down with Zoe to talk about how mothers can find time look after themselves, as well as their families. She discusses why it's important ditch the mum-guilt and find time for the things you love, how small habits lead to bigger things, and why you should find space to enjoy the key moments with your family. Click Here to order your copy of 'Motherkind: A New way to thrive in a world of endless expectations' and gain access to a free 60 minute masterclass with Zoe - teaching the core principles of the book. This show is proudly sponsored by Stokke This episode is sponsored by Cricut. From the 18th to the 31st of August, you can ace back to school with big savings at Cricut.com Download the Free Prints app for iPhone and Android from the App store or Google Play or visit freeprints.co.uk. Get 40% off a Calm premium subscription at calm.com/motherkind Continue the Conversation: Join our community over on Instagram for inspiration, tips, and sometimes a bit of humour to get us through our day - @zoeblaskey Join our mailing list to receive news, updates and new episode releases Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast is a little different. Recorded live at the Olympia in London, I'm joined by a whole host of guests from The Retail Technology Show. The magic of retail could be seen and heard on every stage and at every booth! With key themes of creating meaningful experiences for the retailer, the customer and the employee, this was retail at its best. So grab your cup of tea, sit back and listen…This episode features: Matt Bradley, Event Director and Founder of Retail Technology Show: https://www.retailtechnologyshow.com/Darren Cremins, Senior Sales Director Retail Media at Scala: https://scala.com/en/Oliver Banks, Retail Expert and Author of ‘Driving Retail Transformation': purchase the book on AmazonRebecca Carrington, Head of Product at Sparkbox.ai: https://www.sparkbox.ai/Chris Smith, UK Sales Director at Hypervsn: https://hypervsn.com/Craig Ash, Managing Director of Swarovski UK & Ireland: SwarovskiSarah Friswell, CEO Red Ant: https://www.redant.com/Ian Rowan, CEO X-Hoppers: https://www.x-hoppers.com/Guatier Feld, Co-Founder CircularX: https://circularx.com/Holly Tucker MBE, Founder and CEO of Holly & Co. Founder of Notonthehighstreet: https://holly.co/Transcription and show notes available at: https://theretailadvisor.ie/

SISTIR is a coffee-originated gifting brand, that grew from a sisterly conversation (SIS) about coffee (Stirred) around the ideal '3am blend' to power parents through that mid-night wake-up moment for a crying baby. SISTIR's founder, Georgie Janion-Shaw, joins us in the studio and we hare about the brand's beginnings and how the combination of branding savvy, punning and the availability of a gifting channel in NotOnTheHighStreet allowed them to start. Over time - and through experimentation, optimisation, product development efforts - the product range and channels grew. Georgie share with us her journey and learning with a level of humour and wordplay! We get a chance to reflect upon the mindset of the growth entrepreneur as well as hearing about the extension into sweets and pets. See below for the AI-generated show-notes: summary, takeaways and timestamps - pretty impressive and created by Riverside.fm...   --  Run time: 33 minutes   INFORMATION: [

It's simply impossible to juggle a million and one things at once. This week, founder of Holly & co. and Not On The High Street, Holly Tucker, sits down with Zoe to talk about how mothers need to take it one step at a time. She also speaks about her journey into business and what she'd advise for new entrepreneurs. Continue the Conversation Join our community over on Instagram for inspiration, tips, and sometimes a bit of humour to get us through our day - @zoeblaskey Join our mailing list to receive news, updates and new episode releases: https://mailchi.mp/motherkind/motherkind-mailing-list Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode #110. This episode explores a technical area of latest thinking for marketers - 3 Dimensional marketing. 3D marketing is a fast moving, integrated communication approach that encompasses agile, test and learn ways of working in order to maximise a big idea or marketing assets. The 3 dimensional aspect comes from all marketing comms channels working cohesively to deepen and enrichen a brand story – and continue to build momentum afterwards – rather than working in silos. To discuss, Abby is joined by Ben Carter, Global Chief Customer and Marketing Officer of CarWow, whose previous role included Betfair, Not On The High Street and Just Eat. Ben also has Chair and Non-exec NFP roles with the Lily Foundation and Women in Football. In this episode, Ben explains his definition of 3D marketing, when it doesn't and doesn't work, the role of agency partners is 3D integrated campaigns and his advice to get started. Plus Ben's career journey from journalist to marketer and advice for marketers. Host: Abigail (Abby) Dixon FCIM/ICF | LinkedInGuest: Ben Carter | LinkedInThis podcast is sponsored by Labyrinth Marketing www.labyrinthmarketing.co.uk The Whole Marketer podcast is here to support and empower the people behind brands and businesses with the latest technical tools, soft and leadership skills and personal understanding for a fulfilling marketing career and life as a whole. For more info go to www.thewholemarketer.com

Episode #110. This episode explores a technical area of latest thinking for marketers - 3 Dimensional marketing.  3D marketing is a fast moving, integrated communication approach that encompasses agile, test and learn ways of working in order to maximise a big idea or marketing assets. The 3 dimensional aspect comes from all marketing comms channels working cohesively to deepen and enrichen a brand story – and continue to build momentum afterwards – rather than working in silos.  To discuss, Abby is joined by Ben Carter, Global Chief Customer and Marketing Officer of CarWow, whose previous role included BetFair, Not On The High Street and Just Eat. Ben also has Chair and Non-exec NFP roles with the Lily Foundation and Women in Football.  In this episode, Ben explains his definition of 3D marketing, when it doesn't and doesn't work, the role of agency partners is 3D integrated campaigns and his advice to get started. Plus Ben's career journey from journalist to marketer and advice for marketers.  Host: Abigail (Abby) Dixon FCIM/ICF | LinkedIn Guest: Ben Carter | LinkedIn   This podcast is sponsored by Labyrinth Marketing  www.labyrinthmarketing.co.uk    The Whole Marketer podcast is here to support and empower the people behind brands and businesses with the latest technical tools, soft and leadership skills and personal understanding for a fulfilling marketing career and life as a whole. For more info go to www.thewholemarketer.com 

Holly Tucker is the Queen of small business. Over 20 years ago she co-founded Not On The High Street - one of the first online marketplaces to exist. She started the business in her 20s and she and her co-founder had to plead the local bank manager for a loan. Not On The High Street has since made over one billion pounds for small businesses on the platform. Holly stepped away from the company a few years back, and she's now launched Holly & Co - a marketplace founded by females, championing female founders and with female shoppers in mind. It's also an advice hub for entrepreneurs. I absolutely adored my conversation with Holly. We chatted about the importance of trusting your gut, how to find your purpose and the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when starting out.

From an unheard segment of an upcoming episode with Holly Tucker, the founder of Not On The High Street, the podcast explores the different ways you can define success and how fulfilling your potential isn't all the stereotypical idea of making the most money. For Johanna, the key is to have a fulfilling career that also allows her to spend time with the kids and Holly mentions her work with ‘good-life' businesses that look to achieve the same result. Mark points out the value of finding the success that's going to fulfil you and how to chase after it early in your career.'Word of Advice' takes often unheard segments of Path for Potential and stands them on their own so you can get straight to the professional advice that is going to help you.

From an unheard segment of an upcoming episode with Holly Tucker, the founder of Not On The High Street, the podcast explores the different ways you can define success and how fulfilling your potential isn't all the stereotypical idea of making the most money. For Johanna, the key is to have a fulfilling career that also allows her to spend time with the kids and Holly mentions her work with ‘good-life' businesses that look to achieve the same result. Mark points out the value of finding the success that's going to fulfil you and how to chase after it early in your career.'Word of Advice' takes often unheard segments of Path for Potential and stands them on their own so you can get straight to the professional advice that is going to help you.

Whether you're someone who's just started a creative product business and are chasing that first sale or whether you're an experienced founder trying to leverage even greater growth for your long-running and established brand, something we all share in common is that we all want to experience success, in its many shapes and forms. From social media to shop windows, the popularity and success of a product or brand can sometimes seemingly explode out of nowhere, but it's not often the case that these businesses are overnight successes. In episode 151 of The Resilient Retail Game Plan, I speak to Sallie King of small-space furniture brand, Urbansize. From humble beginnings selling single units on Etsy to being stocked in Urban Outfitters and Not On The High Street, Sallie shares how she gradually built up her business from a single idea and product into the successful brand it is today. In today's podcast we discuss the challenges of stock management and warehousing, creating growth without investment and the virtue of patience. We also talk about the long-term cost, and even personal, benefits of outsourcing and how we might better delegate and share the load of our businesses with our teams. Check out Sallie's beautiful products at: www.urbansize.co.uk And connect with her at: https://www.instagram.com/urbansize_home ANNOUNCEMENT Launching July 10th, I'm offering a brand new, 6-month programme combining award-winning business mentoring with the magic of masterminding, for ambitious small business owners. Book a discovery chat at: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/retail-business-mentoring

*This episode is in partnership with Avon*When Avon came to me with the idea for this International Women's Day Special I was so excited. The episode is all about following your career dreams and making them a reality.My first guest is Holly Tucker MBE, the founder of Notonthehighstreet and Holly & Co. Holly is the UK Ambassador to Creative Small Businesses and she believes that following your passion and building a business doing what you love is the key to a happy and fulfilled life.During the episode Holly gives loads of inspiration and guidance and I just know that if you do have an idea for your own business that you are desperate to start, Holly's words of wisdom might just be the push that you need.Later on I speak to the equally inspiring Amie Darlow. Amie's entire life changed when she became an Avon Rep. She has built up an incredible business and has never felt happier. Her story is both emotional and so very uplifting. I just know that you'll get a lot out of this episode and I can't wait to hear if it inspires you to follow your own personal dreams.

This week my guest on the podcast is Em Royston from Chasing Threads. Chasing Threads make stitchable accessories and cross stitch kits for the modern world. The first collection of unique, stylish and functional accessories that can be stitched and personalised, born from the idea to 'sew where you go'.Em has an interesting background, having previously worked for product brand Suck UK. We talked about how this combined with her passion for crafts and travel led her to set up Chasing Threads. Em has has great success selling her products through distributors and wholesale platforms such as Faire.Em explains how it works, her top tips for making those platforms work for you, and how she got started. It's really inspiring, and my guess is after listening to this podcast you will be hurrying over to Faire to see if it is the right platform for you.Listen in to hear Em share:An introduction to herself and her business (01:18)How and why she started Chasing Threads (02:02)Setting up her business whilst living in Hong Kong (04:16)How being in Hong Kong dramatically increased the speed of getting her products manufactured (05:07)Launching a product via a kickstarter campaign (07:01)Whether she would recommend running a kickstarter campaign again (09:50)Setting up on Woocommerce, then moving to Shopify, and selling on Etsy and Not On The High Street (11:28)Starting to sell via wholesale and trade shows (14:12)The challenges and advantages of running a business from Hong Kong (17:29)Selling globally via distributors, and how this can help you circumvent Brexit issues (18:43)Selling through Faire (24:19)Tips for nurturing customers through Faire (27:02)Faire alternatives including Ankorstore (30:01)Top tips for selling on wholesale platforms (31:01)Her number one piece of advice for other product creators (33:58)USEFUL RESOURCES:Chasing Threads WebsiteChasing Threads FacebookChasing Threads InstagramChasing Threads PinterestSuck UKTop DrawerMaison ObjetFaireAnkorstoreLET'S CONNECTJoin my free Facebook group for product makers and creatorsFind me on InstagramWork with meMentioned in this episode:Get special offers on Junglescout here:The best deals on bestselling tools for building and running a successful Amazon business. https://get.junglescout.com/vicki (Note this is an affiliate link - I recommend it because I use it and love it!)

Today I'm speaking with Claire Grant from OriOrso. OriOrso is a colorful unisex baby brand created to make parents lives easier for clever design without compromising on style.The hero product is the jogger socks, so printed jogging bottoms with non-slip socks attached into the hem to keep socks on all day long. And any of you who have babies or have had babies will know how difficult that can be. So I had a really fascinating conversation with Claire about creating a fashion brand from scratch. I found it really interesting hearing about the steps involved in creating a fashion product, which is quite different from other products in that there were so many unknowns when you get started in terms of fabric, sizing, washing instructions etc.And Claire talked us through all of that in lots of details. So if you are looking to start a fashion brand, I think this is a must listen episode. Claire also shares some great tips about how she has marketed her brand, and her experiences working with Not On The High StreetListen in to hear Claire share:An introduction to herself and her business (01:38)What inspired her to create her own product (02:12)How she decided what to create as her first product (03:57)Researching the market and seeing what else was available (06:13)Testing her idea with friends, family and in Facebook groups (10:10)Learning how to create her product including tech packs and garment technologists (12:09)Designing her fabric prints (14:36)Making her designs print ready (16:01)Learning about the safety requirements for baby clothes (17:56)Looking for a manufacturer (19:43)Pivoting to work with a seamstress, and the advantages (24:14)Starting with a small production run (29:59)Scaling later on to use a manufacturer (32:48)Launching her product and selling on Shopify (36:17)Marketing, what has worked for her and what hasn't (37:04)Considering PR (45:45)The next stage, getting stocked in stores and selling wholesale (48:15)Selling at pop ups (49:56)Her experience with Not On The High Street, and the support that is now available (52:27)His number one piece of advice for other product creators (59:22)USEFUL RESOURCES:OriOrso WebsiteOriOrso FacebookOriOrso InstagramOriOrso PinterestOriOrso TikTokFashion Feed Facebook GroupNot On The High StreetLET'S CONNECTJoin my free Facebook group for product makers and creatorsFind me on InstagramWork with meMentioned in this episode:Get on the waitlist for my Group Product Creation ProgrammeJoin the waitlist to be first to hear when you can join Create a Product to Sell and get a free 1:1 call with me when you sign up!...

Today my guest on the podcast is Angela Chick. Angela is an illustrator and designer with a love for colour and kindness. She creates unique gifts and greeting cards for people who care about other people.  I first heard about Angela in a post by Holly Tucker, where she was talking about the fact that Paperchase owes Angela £22,000. I didn't even know that Paperchase had gone into administration. Angela is not alone, and there are a whole host of small businesses who are owed money by Paperchase. Angela has really bravely agreed to come on and share her story with us, and how small businesses can protect themselves going forwards. Listen in to hear Angela share: An introduction to herself and her business (01:20) How she started her business (02:04) Transitioning from being an artist in residence to running her business full time (05:15) Getting stocked by Not On The High Street (09:58) Where she gets inspiration for her products (16:03) Selling the right products at the right time during the pandemic (17:46) Finding producers and suppliers for her products (20:33) Wholesaling her products (22:50) Licensing her products (23:18) Why licensing is an attractive option (25:28) Her first experience at a Trade Show, Top Drawer (29:26) Her top tips and advice for Trade Shows (31:50) Her experience with Paperchase (41:45) Finding out Paperchase has gone into Administration and what that meant for her (46:31) Connecting with other small businesses also owed money by Paperchase (50:33) How it has changed how Angela works with other companies (56:56) Why working with smaller companies can be better than working with the biggest retailers (57:04) Her number one piece of advice for other product creators (01:01:14) USEFUL RESOURCES: http://www.angelachick.com (Angela Chick Website) http://www.facebook.com/LoveAngelaChick (Angela Chick Facebook) http://www.instagram.com/angela.chick.illustration (Angela Chick Instagram) https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-chick/ (Angela Chick LinkedIn) https://twitter.com/MissAngelaChick (Angela Chick Twitter) Trade Shows: https://www.topdrawer.co.uk/ (Top Drawer) https://www.progressivegreetingslive.com/ (Progressive Greetings Live) Fellow Indies mentioned by Angela: https://www.jellyarmchair.com/ (Jelly Armchair) https://shop.holeinmypocket.com/ (Hole In My Pocket) https://dandelionstationery.co.uk/ (Dandelion Stationery) https://sarahray.co.uk/ (Sarah Ray) 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)

Juniper Studio create bespoke keepsakes, gifts and decor. With a passion for treasuring the small things in life, they pride themselves on sustainability, crafting keepsakes for families to look back on and treasure for generations to come. EPISODE NOTES **Please remember to rate and review the podcast - it really helps others to find it.** Georgina Robinson is the founder of Juniper Studio, who create bespoke keepsakes, gifts and decor. She has a passion for treasuring small things in life, and she prides herself on sustainability and crafting keepsakes for families to look back on and treasure for generations to come.  Georgina and I speak a lot about her products, her inspiration, and how she is making her business more sustainable and reducing its environmental impact, including using a Shopify app which means a tree is planted every time Georgina receives an order.  Listen in to hear Georgina share: An introduction to herself and her business (00:55) How she started her business (02:03) Working with Not On The High Street (02:57) Using content creators to help with social media marketing (06:18) Managing her time (08:13) Creating her products (09:53) Making her business more sustainable (14:42) How small businesses are leading the way with sustainability (29:51) Her number one piece of advice for other authors (31:43) USEFUL RESOURCES: https://www.juniperstudio.co.uk/ (Juniper Studio Website) https://www.instagram.com/juniperstudiouk/ (Juniper Studio Instagram) https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/juniperstudio (Juniper Studio on Not On The High Street) http://www.greencastus.com/ (Greencast) https://apps.shopify.com/tree-nation (Tree Nation Shopify App) 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)  Mentioned in this episode: Get your FREE Amazon checklist to help you get started Get your FREE Amazon checklist to help you get started selling on Amazon: https://mailchi.mp/72c24952cf50/amazon_checklist https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/amazon-checklist (Get your free selling on Amazon checklist)

This week's bitesize takeaway features Not On The High Street co-founder Holly Tucker, who tells Jake and Damian how she turned her imposter syndrome into a superpower. Holly is one of the UK's most respected entrepreneurs and UK Ambassador to Small Creative Businesses.Listen and watch the full episode with Holly: :https://www.thehighperformancepodcast.com/podcast/holly-tucker- - - - - We have created a FREE resource pack for teachers! High Performance is delighted to partner with National Careers Week! Sign up with your email address to be the first to know when resources are available. https://www.thehighperformancepodcast.com/education-sign-up-first/ Go out our website to join our members club THE HIGH PERFORMANCE CIRCLE where you can get podcasts, keynote speeches and boosts from some very special guests. Just go to www.thehighperformancepodcast.co.uk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Holly Tucker is a Co-Founder and Chief Inspirator of Notonthehighstreet, championing small and independent businesses, and has already made over 200 millionaires! Launching SME:SOS, a reactive resource and initiative aimed at helping small businesses during this difficult time, she's pumped over £1-billion into the UK economy and holds an Advisory position for the UK government. She co-founded the immersive brand Holly & Co and presents her own podcast 'Conversations of Inspiration,' chatting to the UK's brightest and most well-known founders which include Fearne Cotton, Deliciously Ella, Thomasina Miers and Levi Roots.Find out more about the Cambridge Union: YouTube channel, Twitter and Instagram.Connect with Holly Tucker via: LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.Find out more about Holly & Co: www.holly.co/ Find out more about Notonthehighstreet via: website.Watch the full interview via YouTube. A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

In these ‘Moment' episodes of my podcast, I'll be selecting my favourite moments from previous episodes of The Diary Of A CEO. Holly Tucker MBE has over twenty years experience building businesses. After working in advertising, media, and for a start-up, Holly gave it all up to start Not On The High Street, an online start-up with an inspiring mission: to give a wider platform for small businesses to compete with high street chains.  I don't think anything truly encapsulates the power of optimism in a better way as this moment episode with Holly. It doesn't matter who you are, what you've gone through or where you decide to go, there is always a way to achieve what truly matters most to you.  Episode 92 - https://g2ul0.app.link/VBEo4l8wcmb Holly: https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/ https://holly.co/ Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/StevenBartlettYT?sub_confirmation=1

Lockdown 1.0. As we all tried to make sense of the pandemic, we turned to:

From making vegetable wreaths and running local Christmas fairs to revolutionising the landscape of e-commerce and encouraging thousands of small businesses to thrive, Holly Tucker MBE is not your average entrepreneur.In this edition of Business Leader Insight, we sit down for a one-on-one interview with the founder of notonthehighstreet and Holly & Co.Holly's obsession with changing corporate landscape and its outdated business ‘rules' led her to create Holly & Co, a small business advice and inspiration platform that has developed a supportive community of like-minded founders and entrepreneurs.Holly is also the author of a Sunday Times bestselling book called Do What You Love, Love What You Do, which helps demystify the grey world of business and helps anyone build a business doing what they love.Here's what we covered during our chat:- You spent some time abroad growing up. Could you tell us about this experience, and do you feel that it helped shape you into the person you are today? (0:56)- Notonthehighstreet came about at a time when e-commerce was still in its infancy. How did you find the experience of shaping a whole industry and where did that drive come from? (2:58)- Many leaders struggle to correctly identify when to give up or pivot correctly. How did you know to keep going with your idea? (6:04)- Could you tell us about your experience of raising money for notonthehighstreet? (8:20)- How did you find the transition of being in control of a company and bringing in others to help in leadership positions? (11:25)- Do you have any tips for leaders looking to build their personal brand? (14:58)- If someone is at home and has a great idea but no clue where to start, and you could only give them one piece of advice or area to focus on, what would that be? (18:47)- One of your key focuses with Holly & Co is to ‘bring colour to grey'. Where did this obsession stem from and why is it so important to you? (20:50)- As a business leader, what is your view on working from home vs. working in an office? (23:25)- You're a very happy person. What makes you frustrated and upset? (25:03)- What direction is social media, and other marketing channels, heading in your opinion? (26:27)- What is one fact about you that people can't find online? (28:18)Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world's leading business figures. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Entrepreneur and small business champion, Holly Tucker is on a mission to rebrand Imposter Syndrome. The founder of retail website, Not On The High Street, tells Claire Cohen why she believes the term is overly negative. Holly shares her secret to turning your biggest insecurities into your greatest strengths, explains why being a busy working mum gave her imposter syndrome at the school gates, and makes the case for letting emotion show in the boardroom.Join us at the Women Mean Business virtual event: https://telegraph.co.uk/wmb |Get 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/imposters |Read more from Claire Cohen: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/c/ck-co/claire-cohen/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we chat with Diana Richardson, Social Media & Community Manager for the SEO division of Semrush, all about SERP features. Where to find Diana: Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianaRich013 (https://twitter.com/DianaRich013) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8D%B7-diana-richardson-8965a317/ --- Resources: https://www.semrush.com/blog/ --- Episode Sponsor This season is sponsored by NOVOS. NOVOS, the London-based eCommerce SEO agency, has won multiple awards for its eCommerce SEO campaigns including Best Global SEO Agency of The Year 2 years running working with brands like Bloom & Wild and Not On The High Street. They are running an exclusive Shopify SEO roundtable for eCommerce leaders on September 23rd with limited spaces available. If you're interested, reach out to them via thisisnovos.com or message their co-founder Antonio Wedral on LinkedIn. Where to find Novos: Website - https://thisisnovos.com/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/thisisnovos Twitter - https://twitter.com/thisisnovos Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thisisnovos/ --- Episode Transcript: Sarah: Hello and a very warm welcome to the Women in Tech SEO podcast, I am Sarah McDowell, SEO Content Executive at Holland and Barrett, and I am your host for today. We have Diana Richardson joining us today, who is social media and community manager for the SEO unit at SEMRush. Hello, Diana. Diana: Sarah. Oh, my gosh. I could just listen to you all day. I love your voice. Sarah: Thank you. Maybe I need to think of ways to make money out of my voice. Maybe that's what I need to do? Diana: Yeah, you definitely should. Sarah:  I feel like we've already cleared something up. So, it is SEMRush rather than S-E-M-rush? Diana: Yes, and we have a lot of fun with how you pronounce our name. But in December of 2020, we went through a rebrand and we revisited our logo, and you'll notice our name is not capitalised as much as it used to be. So, we definitively made it Semrush in December of 2020. But in my career of all these years, I've always called it SEM Rush. So, it was a big change for me too. I've just now kind of get it down. Sarah: There you go. You've heard it here official. Well, let's start by getting to know you, Diana, so please would you be so kind and give us a brief overview of yourself? So, what you do and how you got into this wonderful world of SEO. Diana: My SEO journey started in 2006 when I answered an ad in the paper. Yes, we did not have things like indeed at that time and neither was SEO as a career choice. So, the ad was actually for a marketing specialist. And so, I sat down for the interview and the woman who would become my manager described SEO and PPC to me, and it was with a company that was transitioning from print to digital. So, I learned this from the ground up, brand spanking new, no training in college, with my clients, hands-on for 15 years. It's the best way to learn. I was with them for quite a long time, but then I wanted to branch out beyond SEO. And so, I found a job as a digital marketing director where I got to learn social media, email, branding, storytelling, all of those beautiful elements, and then actually networked my way to the job here at Semrush, which combines both of my loves, which is talking to people and SEO. So, it worked out great. Sarah: Are you ready for me to do a quick-fire round of questions? Diana: Yes. [Quick Fire Questions] Sarah: There are loads of ways that you can be creative. You don't have to draw. What empowers you to be the brilliant woman that you are today? Diana: Besides my genes? I love this question because I think it has been a 38-year journey, right? We learn things every step of the way. And what has empowered me to be how I am, where I am, is finding that it was OK to be me. Many, many more doors have opened for me just being myself, including my job with Semrush and being part of the Women in Tech SEO

In this week's episode, we chat with Beth Barnham, Technical SEO Specialist at Liberty Marketing about all things schema. Where to find Beth: Twitter: https://twitter.com/bethbarnham --- Episode Sponsor This season is sponsored by NOVOS. NOVOS, the London-based eCommerce SEO agency, has won multiple awards for its eCommerce SEO campaigns including Best Global SEO Agency of The Year 2 years running working with brands like Bloom & Wild and Not On The High Street. They are running an exclusive Shopify SEO roundtable for eCommerce leaders on September 23rd with limited spaces available. If you're interested, reach out to them via thisisnovos.com or message their co-founder Antonio Wedral on LinkedIn. Where to find Novos: Website - https://thisisnovos.com/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/thisisnovos Twitter - https://twitter.com/thisisnovos Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thisisnovos/ --- Episode Transcript Areej: Hey, everyone, welcome to a new episode of the Women in Tech SEO podcast, I'm Areej AbuAli and I am the founder of Women in Tech SEO. Today's episode is all about schema. And joining me today is the brilliant Beth Barnham, who is the Technical SEO Specialist at Liberty Marketing. Hey, Beth! Beth: Hey, Areej. Thanks for having me. Areej: I'm so excited that we had a pitch come through about schema. So, thank you for pitching yourself forward. Beth: No, that's cool. It's really exciting and it's one of my favourite topics. So, anybody who knows me will know that I talk about it a lot because it's just really fun. And I like to just have a lot of fun with everything. That's all there is to say. Areej: So, can you tell us a little bit more about you and how you got into the world of SEO? Beth: Yeah, sure. So, I'm a Technical SEO Specialist at Liberty Marketing based in Cardiff at the moment, but I've got an agency background. So, when I finished uni, I knew that I wanted to work in digital marketing but wasn't really sure where. So, I kind of you know, digital marketing is kind of a massive sphere, isn't it? So, I went to an agency that as a graduate style scheme, and I worked through PPC, content, social media and SEO. And originally, I thought that social media was going to be what I wanted to do and ironically, I hate it now. So, I found SEO was something that I. I liked understanding how people got to where they did online without having to kind of pay for it. So, I knew I didn't focus on that element of it when I was in that agency. It paved the way, as a lot of SEOs say, and you just kind of find your way. Then I worked at another couple of agencies before I ended up at Liberty. And Liberty is kind of carved out my technical side, which is something that I love. And I just want to get as much exposure and understanding of tech as I can. So that's why the Women in Tech SEO is brilliant, because it gives you that exposure to other women in the industry. But also, there's a lot of chat with the tech side of things as well. So, it's perfect. Areej: Yeah. And how do you find working agency side? Beth: Well, I can't compare it with anything because I've only really worked agency-side apart from other non-digital jobs. So, I love it. I love the variety and my mind is really busy. So, I like to I can work in one industry in the morning and another in the afternoon and I get that exposure to all different industries, and I learn loads of different things that I wouldn't do before. So, I like that. And I like the difference and speaking with clients and just having like-minded people around. Sometimes you don't get in the house if it's a smaller team. So that's kind of my reason for an agency. But yeah, it's quite biased because I've only ever really been an agency. Areej: I did agency for five years before moving in-house. And there's so much that you learn when your agency side. With SEOs who are starting, for example, I always advise them to start with the...

Holly Tucker MBE has over twenty years experience building businesses, and today she shares that insight with us. After working in advertising, media, and for a start-up, Holly gave it all up to start Not On The High Street, an online start-up with an inspiring mission: to give a wider platform for small businesses to compete with high street chains.  Known as ‘Hurricane Holly' for always doing everything quickly, she started Not On the High Street in 2006. Then, it was just one of three online marketplaces in the world, the other two being Amazon and Ebay. Now, her business is going from strength to strength, and employs over 200 people from her West London base. She has used her knowledge to counsel others looking to build their own businesses, and is the author of three books, the latest being Do What You Love, Love What You Do, about how to turn your passion into profit. We think after listening to Holly's story you'll see how anyone can found a successful business, no matter what barriers stand in their way. Holly's story is nothing short of inspiring, and we can't wait for you to hear it.  Topics: Your early years  Losing orientation in your life  The Not On The High Street story  Optimism in business Hiring for a business  Losing myself within the business  Leaving not on the high street and 59:48 59:48 rediscovering myself  Helping people create a good-life business  Do what you love, love what you do Holly: https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/ https://holly.co/  Holly's book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B088TF94G6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Sponsors: https://uk.huel.com/ https://myenergi.com/?utm_source=steven_bartlett&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=podcast 

Silvina De Vita is a designer and paper artist and runs her own online business My Papercut Forest. My Papercut Forest is a playground for Silvina's imagination, a place to try out new ideas, artworks and designs. Silvina creates, makes and sells a range of artworks including paper cut sculpture boxes, miniature paper domes, illustrations, prints, greeting cards, and loads of other unique objects. All designs are by Silvina, and all items are handmade with love in Brighton, UK. EPISODE NOTES **Please remember to rate and review the podcast - it really helps others to find it.** Today I'm talking to Silvina De Vita, the designer and paper artist behind online business My Papercut Forest, which sells handmade personalised paper art, unique paper gifts and paper cuts. We talk about what paper art is (I'll be honest I didn't know!), how Silvina became Etsy Team Captain for Brighton and what that entails, and shopping small and supporting local business. Listen in to hear Silvina share: An introduction to herself and her business (1:13) Setting up an Etsy store and realising the need to rebrand (5:04) The global reach and changes in Etsy over the past 9 years (10:05) The differences between Not On The High Street and Etsy (12:27) Why Silvinia became Etsy Team captain for Brighton and what this entails (17:22) Tips for new sellers on Etsy (23:22) The importance of good product photography (25:10) Adapting to the pandemic, and unexpected bestsellers (31:46) Getting stocked in and the importance of shopping small and supporting local business (33:45) Her number one piece of advice for other product creators (42:31) USEFUL RESOURCES: https://mypapercutforest.co.uk/ (My Papercut Forest website) https://www.facebook.com/silvinadevita (My Papercut Forest on Facebook) https://www.instagram.com/mypapercutforest/ (My Papercut Forest on Instagram) https://twitter.com/silvina_dv (My Papercut Forest on Twitter) LET'S CONNECT https://www.instagram.com/vickiweinberg_product_creation/ (Find me on Instagram) http://www.vickiweinberg.com (Work with me) 

From the sounds of Slade and Band-Aid permeating the airwaves to the snowflake fringed points of sale at seemingly every checkout, for better or worse, Christmas seems to start earlier every year. On average, the buying public might resent the idea of turning their thoughts to the festive season as soon as the Hallowe'en decorations are down, but with one-third of all retail sales taken in the six-week run-up to Xmas, the reality for retailers is that their Chrimbo considerations have to start a whole lot earlier...and I'd suggest that's as early as July! So for today's episode, I've enlisted retail mentor (and my fellow ‘Get Set for Christmas' workshop host) Joanne Griffin, who kindly shares her top Christmas planning and product tips. With 13 years of experience, from working at Not On The High Street to helping home, gift and lifestyle brands to spot new retail opportunities, Joanne has a great deal of commercial knowledge as well as an eye for design and truly knows what it takes to foster a fruitful festive season. In this episode, we talk about creating a stress-free Christmas by seizing upon a slow summer and getting a plan in place, the importance of looking outside your own niche for both product and marketing inspiration and how ever-evolving consumer attitudes and behaviours mean that you need to try to meet your customer where they're at. Get in touch with Joanne about working together at https://www.creativeflowcollective.com/ and you can follow and connect with her at: https://www.facebook.com/creativeflowcollective https://www.instagram.com/creativeflowcollective/ https://www.pinterest.co.uk/creativeflowcollective/_saved/ Further Resources: Use the code Podcast10 to get 10% off lifetime access to the Get Set for Christmas course. https://futureretailacademy.newzenler.com/courses/get-set-for-christmas-2021  

Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is  Kelly Molson, MD of Rubber Cheese.Download our free ebook The Ultimate Guide to Doubling Your Visitor NumbersIf you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website rubbercheese.com/podcastIf you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this episode.Competition ends August  27th 2021. The winner will be contacted via Twitter.Show references:www.designedbyesther.co.ukwww.princes-trust.org.ukhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-johnson Esther Johnson is working with the leading tourist attractions. Creating contemporary illustrations based on extensive research of each subject for commercial use.Transcription:Kelly Molson: Welcome to Skip the Queue, a podcast for working in, or working with, visitor attractions. I'm your host, Kelly Molson. Each episode, I speak with industry experts from the attractions world. In today's episode, I speak with Esther Johnson, a freelance designer and illustrator specialising in working with heritage sites. We discuss the importance of having niche products in your gift shop, how you can develop these for your attraction, and what you need to think about before taking on the plunge. If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue.Kelly Molson: Esther, thank you so much for coming on the podcast today, it's so lovely to see you again.Esther Johnson: Thank you very much for having me, very flattered. Kelly Molson: I love the backdrop that you've got there as well, for everyone that's watching this on YouTube, I can see your beautiful illustrations that we're going to talk about in the background. It's a lot more beautiful than my background. Esther Johnson: No, it's authentic. It's authentic working from home. We redid it last year at the start of April and didn't know that it was going to be really useful for having meetings like this. Kelly Molson: Who did?Esther Johnson: [crosstalk 00:01:05]. So, thank you very much.Kelly Molson: You are welcome. As ever, we're going to start off with some icebreaker questions. So, if money was no limit, what would be your absolute dream holiday?Esther Johnson: Easy, Nashville. I'm such a big country music fan, absolutely love Nashville, and I would love, love, love to go and listen to the music, and drink the beer and everything. Proper Nashville, want to do it, that is on my bucket list. So, if I had all the money, that's straight where I would go.Kelly Molson: I love that. There was no hesitation whatsoever in that at all, "I've got this planned already". Esther Johnson: Literally, country music... It's all I listen to. During the day, it's all I listen to.Kelly Molson: Who is your favourite country music artist? Esther Johnson: So, a bit of a girl crush on Carrie Underwood. I've seen her I think three times in London. I think she's just such an incredible performer, and I love her outfits, and I love just everything that she's doing. Carrie Underwood. Kelly Molson: You've just set the Spotify playlist for me for the rest of the day, I'll have to check her out. Esther Johnson: Yeah, [inaudible 00:02:26] playlist, definitely [inaudible 00:02:26]. Kelly Molson: What is your food-based guilty pleasure? Esther Johnson: Probably After Eight's. I have a few food allergies, so my palette is barely limited at times, so After Eight's are literally my go-to for everything. It's the only chocolate I can have, so it's definitely my guilty pleasure. Kelly Molson: The only chocolate you can have? Wow. Do you play the After Eight game when you eat them as well? Esther Johnson: No, wastes time, wastes time, straight in. Kelly Molson: Messy too, depending on the time. Esther Johnson: Of course, yes.Kelly Molson: This might tie in actually to your dream holiday, if you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life what would it be?Esther Johnson: Probably Tommy Scott, this is very Scottish, but it's literally my family's favourite tunes and songs. Tommy Scott, he'll do a range of, We Belong to Glasgow, and all these very Scottish things. So, Tommy Scott. I don't know what album, but anything he's done we'll listen to that.Kelly Molson: Alright, I don't know Tommy Scott, I'm going to have to put him in my playlist. Esther Johnson: I'm sure you maybe recognise if you've been to a Burns Night, or [inaudible 00:03:47], or New Year's Eve literally they'll play some of his music. Kelly Molson: Esther, it's unpopular opinion time.Esther Johnson: My unpopular opinion is I really don't like pasta, and I'm sorry. I really don't like pasta. If you've gone out to a restaurant and gone to an Italian, and you have Pizza, why would you choose pasta over pizza? I just don't get it.Kelly Molson: I get you on that. There is no decision to be made there. Esther Johnson: [crosstalk 00:04:20] all the way.Kelly Molson: But, you don't like pasta at all?Esther Johnson: At all. I like rice, so I'd rather have rice. If mum and dad are having pasta I will have rice or something else, or potatoes. I don't know if it's the texture, or if it's the taste. I don't know. Just not for me at all.Kelly Molson: I'll accept your unpopular opinion. Esther Johnson: Thank you.Kelly Molson: I don't agree with it, but I think that there might be a few people that will.Esther Johnson: I'm very much alone in this house as well. Kelly Molson: Let's get on to the serious questions. So, Esther, I think we connected on LinkedIn quite a while ago, and I have to say, I'm really blown away by the illustrative work that you do. I think it's absolutely beautiful. You're a freelance designer, but you specialise in illustrations and products for heritage sites. Esther Johnson: Yeah.Kelly Molson: Tell me a little bit about how you started your business. Esther Johnson: It was back in 2017, I'd just been on the Prince's Trust course. They do an enterprise course and it's a four-day crash course into running a business. So, it does your taxes, your marketing. So, four days of full-on business stuff. And, they were doing pros and cons of being an entrepreneur or being self-employed, and every single one I was like, "Yeah, I really want to be self-employed, I want to make my own day job and routine." So, got partnered with a mentor, and we started talking about what I could do as a business really, so creating that idea. I said, "I really like sketchbooks, and drawing, and things like that, but things that I like drawing are the quirky characters, not characters as in Disney characters, but characteristics of places. Esther Johnson: And, there was a program recently that really summed up my mindset into what I, hopefully, what I'm into the business. It was Tony Robinson, and he did this documentary on Cathedrals in England, and he was saying that, "Unless somebody pointed out these little details, you wouldn't know." So, so many people would just walk past, and that's fine because it's all this history. And, it's those kind of quirky things that we was talking about that I really loved and wanted to capture through illustration. Esther Johnson: So, there was a video, on Facebook I think it was, and it was all these railings that were really bizarre in London, and they were old World War 2 stretchers, and they'd been recycled into railings. And, it's that kind of idea that I really like drawing. So, we were like, "How can we get that concept?" Because, it's heritage, it's history, and quirky characteristics, "How can we get that concept into a business?" Basically, so, we started thinking of places that were local to me, so in Medway, and Chatham Dockyard came to the list. Esther Johnson: So, one day, just basically walked in, I had a couple of designs in a folder, and went, "Can I speak to the retail manager?" Hadn't planned anything, didn't know what I wanted to say. And, he didn't laugh at me at the door, which was really nice. He said, "Come back", he had a look at my designs in the folder, seemed to like them. He said, "Come back with some designs and we'll go from there." So, that was it. I went around the site. Chatham Dockyard I think was the biggest employer for Medway before it closed. But, there are so many different aspects of it. There are the three ships, there's a Victorian Ropery where they filmed Call the Midwife, and there are all these buildings. So, there were so many different aspects that I wanted to capture, that I felt that it couldn't go into one design, I felt like it would go as a collection. Esther Johnson: So, I did By the Docks, so focused on the ships and the maritime aspect of Chatham Dockyard, and called it By the Docks. And then, The Long Walk, because of the Victorian Ropery. I'll probably get this wrong, but I think it was a quarter of a mile long building. So, called it The Long Walk, and the colours were brown and earthy in the style that you would see when you go and visit. And then, finally, I wanted to capture all the different buildings, because it was like a little community in the Dockyard. They had a little church, and they had a Commissioner's House, and it's all things that you see passing by. Esther Johnson: So, I had the three designs, came back, and he seemed to like them which was really lovely because I had no degree, no experience, absolutely nothing to my name. And, I thought, "No one's going to take me seriously", but I think he saw that I was really interested in the Dockyard in particular and finding out the history of it, and capturing that through illustration. Some of the comments that he said as well was that it was quite unusual that an artist potentially or a designer would go and do some work specific to them. Normally they would either buy in stock or they would buy some designs from a catalogue, kind of thing. And, the fact that I went and wanted to get it bespoke for them was a bit different. And, it was those nuggets of information that built to this idea of what I wanted to do for a business. Esther Johnson: Then, we went into a product launch, we had all these products. And, having my name on these actual labels, and there would be barcodes, and everything so professional, it was like, "Wow". Lit the fire for what I wanted to do.Kelly Molson: That must have been such an amazing feeling, to be able to go into a shop and pick up something that you have designed or you've illustrated, and it's there, it's a physical thing. Esther Johnson: Yeah, I've definitely been in there a few times just to take pictures and just be like, "This is so bizarre". It really sparked that idea that heritage is definitely the market that I want to go in and do it for other places. There are so many other museums in Medway and in Kent. So, that's where it started really.Kelly Molson: It's a brilliant story. I love that you were supported by Prince's Trust as well, I think they're such an incredible organisation, what they do for young people, really fantastic. Esther Johnson: Yeah, they still are.Kelly Molson: You're a mentor for them as well, aren't you?Esther Johnson: I'm a young ambassador for them. Kelly Molson: Ambassador.Esther Johnson: Over lockdown, there's been so many enterprise courses that I've been running. And, on the week you get... They call it an inspirational speaker, it's strange to be called that. I go in and tell my story about how I run the business and how the Prince's Trust has helped. So, I did eight of those over lockdown. So, the demand for small businesses and people setting up their own business has definitely been on the increase. Prince's Trust, still keeps in contact with my mentors and in contact with the South East and London region, which is incredible. I've never met a bunch of people that are just so willing for you to do well. Across the board, everyone is so happy and so excited about what you're doing. It's really encouraging. Kelly Molson: It's amazing. I love the progression that you've made in what you've achieved so far. The reason that I got you on the podcast today is there's a few things that you mentioned, as you were telling your story about how you set up, that tie in really lovely with a past episode that we've had on the podcast. Back in November time, we had Simon Jones from Digital Visitor on, and at that point we were talking a lot about the fact that attractions have been closed for a huge amount of 2020. As they were starting to reopen again, they needed to look at different ways of engaging with the visitor when they came. And, not just when they come, but when they're buying from them online, or when they're buying from them on the gift shop on-site. Kelly Molson: And, Simon and I both very much talked about the fact that attractions need to stock products that you can't buy anywhere else, that's the whole point of going to that gift shop. You don't really want to just pop in there and buy something that you could pop to Tesco's and buy, or pop to your high street gift shop and buy. The reason for going is, you've been to this fantastic attraction all day, if you're going to go into the gift shop and buy something, you want to buy something that you can only get there that is very individual to that venue. And, you touched on that a little bit when you were speaking about your client had said that it's unusual for them to have illustrations that were very much focused on them, rather than just buying something that was stock. Kelly Molson: So, I wanted to talk through your process really, because I thought that would be really interesting for our audience, how you work with an organisation to do this. So, can you tell us a little bit about how that process starts? What do you do when you're first speaking to an attraction? How do you start that process of designing something that is bespoke for them? Esther Johnson: Most importantly, I need to visit the place. There's obviously so much that you can get from the internet and looking at social media, but actually visiting, as a visitor and as a customer, you see things that you wouldn't necessarily get on the internet. And also, I think a hugely important part of when I do design, is speaking to the staff, some of the visitors, and some of the people that work there because they're the experts in that place. Some of them have been there for their whole career and know every inch of the history of the museum or heritage site. And, it's that kind of information that I think is crucial and is really helpful in making a really good design. Because, they'll know what visitors are always keen to go and look at, the best sellers or the must-sees of each place. And, it's that kind of information that you wouldn't get maybe on the internet. You get a feel, you get an idea of the colours, and what the place is laid out like. So that, when you've done the whole journey and then you finish up at the gift shop, which sometimes that is how it works in museums, you know what they're expecting, and what kind of products they would want to have as part of their trip and day out. So, definitely very much go and visit it first, see it firsthand, and get imagery, photography from those places. Esther Johnson: And then, I'll go back and do some illustrations, do some designs, and put together something. I'm very lucky that I get free rein to start off with, "Here's the brief, here's what we want", go in, create something. So then, after that, we'll put together a design and I'll maybe put together some products that I think might work. And then, we go from there, we tweak it, sometimes the information might be incorrect, or they prefer to take out some images. It's a very partnership kind of relationship, because, the people that I'm working with, they know the place inside out. So, if I've taken something that I thought was interesting but doesn't quite work with their branding or with their ethos, then it will be taken out. And, that's absolutely fine, because it's them that will be selling it, it will be them that are talking to the customers, and knowing what's going to sell, and things like that. Esther Johnson: So, design is created, and then we'll put it onto products. And normally, I help find the suppliers and recommend some products that I think might work with some designs from previous examples, previous museums that I've worked with. And then, I also like doing the end part, the packaging, because I found some clients it's quite a small team in the retail side, and don't necessarily have the time to look at swatches for binding for oven gloves, and looking at fabric materials, and all those details. I'm putting my name on it, so I want to make sure it's the best product that it can be for the customer, and I want it to be well-thought-out. Because, like you say, they're spending their money and they want to have something that is bespoke for that place. And, also you can add a bit of a premium to that product that has been well-thought-out, and things like that. So, I really try and go for the full process from start to finish, and they're helping with the packaging, and if you need labels designed. I'm really interested in that whole design process.Kelly Molson: It's really collaborative, isn't it? You're working really hand in hand with them.Esther Johnson: Yeah. I definitely feel that is the better way to go about it, rather than just, "Here's a design, you pay me for that, you've got to deal with it, you've got to sell it." I'd rather it be something that they're proud of as well, and that they're passionate about it. That really does help actually with the design. When you're speaking to the staff and customers, the passion of their site and the story that they are telling, when that passion comes over, it really influences the design. And, I get that passion as well, and then I get really excited thinking, "I really hope that they like it, and I really hope that they can see that I've listened to what they've said." So, little details that go in the design, I hope that comes across.Kelly Molson: And, how do you work with the site to define what those products might be? Because your illustrations can be applied to a variety of different products, how do you help that site define what products are going to be the most popular for them, and how they can make the most of them?Esther Johnson: So, normally they already have a shop and a product range that they have already, and sometimes it is just a new product collection. So, I can say that "This design particularly works well with confectionary or kitchenware." If it's a place that's not really had product development, or they've just potentially bought things for stock, it's kind of, "Who's your target market? Who are the people that are coming in and buying tickets? Who are the people that are spending the most time in the gift shop?" It's really the research that they have, and it's all their knowledge that really influences what the products... I can suggest and say, "I think this would work really well for this target market", but they are the people that would know who is their customer. I'm not there to tell them, "This is what you should do", at all. It really is a, "I would like to help", or, "I'd like to contribute". So, it really is down to them, to be honest.Kelly Molson: If we talk about things that people need to think about before they start to speak to somebody like you who will help them develop those products, what do they need to know before they engage with you? What do they need to prepare beforehand?Esther Johnson: I suppose it depends on what their end reason for having a design. So, an example would be, some design I did for a client was not used for products, it was used for educational purposes. So, getting the school kids would be a big part of their attraction, and they needed a branding or a mascot that could be targeting to the children, and have little speech bubbles, and giving them the educational purposes, and the facts and figures of that. So, that was a very different market.Kelly Molson: If I gave you an ideal brief, what would be in that brief? What would you need to know, that you would have everything that was in that brief, that you'd go, "This brief is perfect. I'm going to take that away and..."?Esther Johnson: A perfect brief would be fairly minimal. It would be, "Come and visit on X, Y, and Z", and then I go and take inspiration from the place, and go from there. That would, I'd say, be the perfect brief. Or, another one would be, "We've got five sites, and we're trying to collaborate them together because they're all a bit disjointed", or something like that. And then, I'll be like, "Okay, I'll go to each five sites, find out something specific, and then a design will be created that can collaborate each five site, and then you can sell it in each five sites, so they're all brought together." Finding out what their unique characteristics are to go on.Kelly Molson: Is that harder to do? Because, if you're going to one site there will be individual things about that site that are really bespoke to that site, it feels like it would be easier to create on thing. How do you manage it when it's five different sites? Do you have to go through the same process at each site? Esther Johnson: I suppose. There's one particular client that I'm working with, the Brighton Pavilion Trust. So, they've got five museums down in Brighton. The Royal Pavilion is a classic, beautiful architectural building.Kelly Molson: Such an iconic building, isn't it?Esther Johnson: Yeah. Kelly Molson: Everyone remembers it.Esther Johnson: Beautiful. And, I didn't know that they had five other sites that were all linked in the same thing, and they wanted to create something that was uniformed. So, went around and found all these quirky little things that were in each site. So, I've drawn all the buildings, and then added little elements that were relevant. And then, put them into one design... I know I put it into repeat, just for a textile design background, I suppose. Customers, I hope, will be able to recognise all these different elements, and know that they can go to each different site and then find something else there.Kelly Molson: That makes sense. I guess you might be a bit biased in [inaudible 00:22:40], how important do you think it is that heritage sites do have niche products?Esther Johnson: I think it's very important. So, yes, I'm probably biased. I think it is very important because... My mindset for it is that you're spending X amount of money to get into the place, and it's a day out. And, you wouldn't go there if it was just a park, or it had no memory or meaning to it, you go there because there is a purpose to that place. And, the people are passionate about their history and what they are offering. They are, ultimately, offering a story and a place to go. And, I think that it's only fair to capture those stories into something that they can take home as a souvenir. And, the meaning of the souvenir is the whole reason why I create bespoke-ness, is because you want something that you can only buy from that place. And, I also think that well-thought design is important, rather than something that you think, "They didn't really care much about the product." I think it's important to make sure that you do care about the end product so that your customers know that you're passionate about the story, and you want them to come back, and you want them to remember. And, it would be a nice gift that they can give to somebody else as well. Kelly Molson: It's helping them continue that story as well, isn't it? To continue the journey that they've been on by buying something that is only available there, they then bring it home, which then sparks those lovely memories of that day. And again, does it act as a reminder to say, "We need to go there again", it's something that's in their house, they physically see it all the time, "We need to go back there. We need to revisit."?Esther Johnson: Yeah, of course. And, if you go to John Lewis and they've got some beautiful collections from maybe artists or just well-designed products, you think, "Wow, that's really nice. I might want to go back and add to the collection." So, you've got a set of some really nice products. And, I think, why couldn't you do that in the museum setting, and a visitor site setting? Why can't you have really beautiful products that maybe you want to go back and get the set. Or, maybe you see what else they've developed and think, "I'd rather spend my money here than on a high street store." It's making that decision made easy for customers to spend their money in a museum and visitor site rather than somewhere else online.Kelly Molson: That's a great answer. I completely agree with you on that. I think it's part of that whole mindset... There was a majority of people that were trying to shift to buying local, and buying [inaudible 00:25:43], buying smaller products anyway. But, there's definitely been a shift towards that more so since lockdown, buying local, supporting independents and things. So, I think if you can intertwine that into your visitor center as well then that's a perfect offering.Esther Johnson: Yeah. I totally agree.Kelly Molson: You might not have facts and figures and stuff for this, but it'd be interesting to know if you've spoken to any of the attractions that you've worked with and seen what the uptake has been in those niche products, compared to something that was a stock product that people would have been able to buy previously?Esther Johnson: I don't have facts and figures. I would love to be able to say their revenue was amazing after they had worked with me. In 2020, I had five projects that was going onto products that all got put on hold, and I only really started the business in 2018. So, in terms of facts and figures, it's quite difficult to get them because it's quite a short time. However, I did get contacted by a charity called ABF, the national Soldier's Charity, I think it was March/ April last year, so during the lockdown. And, we created a design, and we created some products, and it went quite well. And, they had to reorder within a couple of months. And, we did some Christmas cards that were e-cards, and they were doing them onto physical Christmas cards. And, we're doing some new product collections that are now stationary. We did confectionary, we expanded on the confectionary style. And, the response has been really good. It is a different market in terms of that it's a military charity, rather than a visitor attraction. But, the process is still the same thing. I still get in elements from what they do, what their ethos, why they do what they do, and put that onto design.Esther Johnson: And, people took... I think they liked it. Because, they were like, "Yes, this is the charity that I support and have a lot of relationships or memories within this charity, and I want to support them. And, the fact that they've got a lovely designed product, even better." So, instead of just donating money, which people do every month, they actually get a product for it. And, something that they can admire... Not admire, [inaudible 00:28:16].Kelly Molson: I totally get that. I think it's really relevant, regardless of whether that's a charity or an attraction that you're talking to. Again, it comes back to that idea of people are making really big choices about where they spend their money, and that charity or that attraction is really important to them, therefore they're choosing to spend their money there. And, they want something that they can only get at that venue. That's the message that we're driving through today. It is really important that your venue has something that is so special, and so unique to you, that people can only spend their money there on that product.Esther Johnson: Yeah, because, ultimately, the people will go there for a particular reason, because of the story that they tell. And, if it can be someway reflected into a lovely product that they can then purchase and help, then the money goes back into the refurbishment or the continuation of that organisation, I think all the better for it. Kelly Molson: Yeah, absolutely. So, other than behind your head, where I can see some of your beautiful products. Again, if you're not watching this on YouTube, apologies. What attractions have you worked with? Where can we find out a bit more about your work?Esther Johnson: Chatham Dockyard, to start off with. They still sell the three designs that I started my business on, so you can go and find them there. Chelsea Pensioners was such an amazing project to work on, going around the Chelsea Pensioner site, the Royal Hospital, and speaking with Chelsea Pensioner, and getting all that thing. So, they have products and they have it online as well. So, if you have any connections with the Chelsea Pensioners, that was a really good project to work on. The Brighton Billing Trust, I really hope I've got that name right, this year we're working on some products that will combine all the five sites that they have, and we're putting them on to products. So, it would have come out in 2020, but obviously, it was postponed. So, hopefully, this year, maybe next year, Brighton will have some new products designed by me.Kelly Molson: So exciting. I think it's wonderful. I've really enjoyed chatting to you today, just to find out more about that process and how it works. If anyone wants to get in touch with you, where's the best place that they can do that? Esther Johnson: Website, email, designedbyesther.co.uk. Instagram, I try and put a lot more on Instagram. Kelly Molson: Fabulous. And, we will put all the links to Esther's contact details in the show notes anyway, so don't worry if you didn't grab that. You'll be able to pop over and hit her up if you want to chat with her and find out a little bit more about how she can help. We always end our podcast with asking about a book that you'd recommend to our listeners. So, a book that you love, or something that's helped shape your career in some way? What's your suggestion for us today?Esther Johnson: Ashamedly, I've not read many books. However, over lockdown, there's a lady called Holly Tucker, who co-founded Not On The High Street, and Holly & Co, and she's been doing these Instagram Lives two or three times a week, and they've been so inspirational, so motivating. She really just captures what small businesses and small entrepreneurs are going through. She answers questions, she's just so helpful. She has a book coming out called Do What You Love, Love What You Do. I've pre-ordered it, and I am so excited to read it. I've gone against the rules, that I haven't read it. Over lockdown, she has really inspired me to think, "Why do I want to run a business?", and, "Why do I want to continue what I'm doing?" So, she has been a big boost in the daily running of my business. I really recommend her. And also, if you just watch her Instagram Lives, she's so interesting and so personable, she's just incredible. Kelly Molson: I love that. I think that's a perfect book for this episode.Esther Johnson: Perfect, yeah.Kelly Molson: It fits really well with what we've been talking about, in terms of products. Good recommendation. As ever, listeners, if you want to win a copy of this book, then if you head over to our Twitter account, which is Skip the Queue, and if you retweet this episode announcement with the comment, "I want Esther's book", then you will be in with a chance of winning it. Esther Johnson: It should be a good one. Kelly Molson: Esther, thank you so much for coming on today, I've really enjoyed finding out a bit more about what you do. I think understanding a bit of that process that you go through when you work with attractions will definitely help our audience if they're thinking about developing a bespoke product in some way that is going to be really individual for them. So, thank you.Esther Johnson: Thank you very much for asking, I hope it has been of some use. Kelly Molson: It absolutely will be.Kelly Molson: Thanks for listening to Skip the Queue. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five-star review, it really helps others find us. And, remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned. Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. You can find show notes and transcriptions from this episode and more over on our website, rubbercheese.com/podcast.

Plus, are you up or down on John Deere tractors? And find out how Brad uses American Sniper techniques in unusual ways. Join in the fun, and chat to the guys on the Loose Dads Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/297282985116246/ Have a look at JB's campaign here >> https://www.organix.com/goodforme This episode was sponsored by Not On The High Street, and if you are after some inspiration, or want to nudge the gift buyers in your house in the right direction, then send them here for some ideas: http://bit.ly/3yBODnA

Plus, there's another entry for the Darwin Awards in the news, and the guys discuss whether it's possible to know you're doing a good job as a parent. Join in the fun, and chat to the guys on the Loose Dads Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/297282985116246/ This episode was sponsored by Not On The High Street, and if you are after some inspiration, or want to nudge the gift buyers in your house in the right direction, then send them here for some ideas: http://bit.ly/3yBODnA

Plus, the guys ask whether losing your virginity is overrated, Brad needs to brush up on his late 90s British celebs, and the big question is about interfering in-laws! Join in the fun, and chat to the guys on the Loose Dads Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/297282985116246/ This episode was sponsored by Not On The High Street, and if you are after some inspiration, or want to nudge the gift buyers in your house in the right direction, then send them here for some ideas: http://bit.ly/3yBODnA

The chance of you being born is 1 in 400 trillion and so I believe that everyone is on this planet for a reason and everyone has something remarkable about themselves Holly Tucker MBE, Founder of Holly & Co Holly Tucker is a woman on a mission to change business forever. The co-founder of Not On The High Street and creator of Holly & Co did an Instagram live every day during the first lockdown to help small businesses navigate the choppy waters of those times. She believes there’s a real opportunity to thrive despite the year we have had. As the UK Ambassador for Creative Small Business, her aim is to empower everyone to turn their passion into profit. Her new book "Do What You Love What You Do" is a love letter to the transformational joy that can come from running your own business because you get to directly tap into your creativity. Holly believes identifying your purpose will help you build a business that you love. Holly Tucker MBE, Founder of Holly & Co In this episode of Show Me The Way Holly tells her story of how she came to start Not On The High Street, the challenges she has faced and how she used creativity to overcome them and gives one of her 'Holly Hacks' to help you to identify your purpose.     Holly's new book Do What You Love, Love What You Do is out now.   In this episode of Show Me The Way Holly explains one of her 'Holly Hacks' which helps you to identify your purpose which in turn will form a foundation on which you can build your business. For Emmeline's bookshelf Holly recommended Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman.     Holly's podcast is packed with inspirational guests who run their own businesses.   You can find out more about Holly on her website Holly & Co. Every Monday we are treated to a new episode of Holly’s Conversations of Inspiration podcast. And on her instagram @hollytucker she does a regular Mastering your Money on Mondays and Holly’s Business Pharmacy LIVE every Wednesday at noon. Holly's book Do What You Love Love What You Do is out now.  

Today I am so excited to be joined by the mother of small businesses, Holly Tucker MBE. She's the creative mastermind behind one of my favourite online marketplaces, Not On The High Street and is now the founder of Holly & Co, a small business advice and inspiration platform. Holly is just about to release a brand new business book called Do What You Love, Love What You Do packed full of tips and skills any founder needs to help their business thrive. In this episode, we recount Holly's journey into the business world and discuss what an incredible rollercoaster she's been on since. We talk about what inspired her to start Not On The High Street, her top tips for starting a business (my favourite being that you have to be the ‘Duracell battery' of the company) and why running a small business can be the key to happiness. Holly undoubtedly brings colour to business and has brightened up a lot of small businesses during the pandemic. So whether you might be about to start a company or you're finding yourself in a business rut, I truly recommend you read her new business bible. It really is a book like no other. *** Life and Soul is hosted by Emma Forbes, produced by Georgie Rutherford and edited by Steve Campen. Follow us: https://www.byemma.co/ @byemma.forbes @emmaforbeslifestyle Follow Holly: @hollytucker Find out more about her book, Do What You Love, Love What You Do: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1119976/do-what-you-love--love-what-you-do/9780753558027.html   We would also love to hear from you so feel free to send us an email if you enjoyed this episode to hello@byemma.co

CMO Confidential is a new series on NDA where we talk to CMOs who, while not digital in job title, have digital understanding and experience embedded in their DNA.Ben joined online estate agent Purplebricks in November last year as CMO after five very successful years at Just Eat where he was global director of restaurants and strategic partnerships.He was previously marketing director at Notonthehighstreet and director of digital at Betfair.In the podcast he discusses the need for a perfect marriage between brand building across traditional media and digital channels and how to build brand fame through the use of tradition channels underpinned by smart digital thinking and performance media.The conversation ranges from the changing role of the CMO, the in-housing trend and the role of agency partnerships to why today the CMO has to sit at the heart of any business to be focussed fully on the customer.

We're back with another weekly Friday bitesize episode, looking at stand-out moments from the podcast with more context, more discussion and more analysis from our hosts Jake and Damian.   Today we go back to our conversation with ‘Not On The High Street' founder Holly Tucker, and how naivety helped her grow her business from the ground up.     Thanks to our sponsors Lotus Cars. Remember, you can get extended episodes of the podcast on our YouTube channel bit.ly/HPPYouTube and follow us on Instagram @highperformance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What happens when everything stops? Stop as well? Or find a way of making it a win? Fran is pretty modest - she has pretty modest goals. She wanted a business that works around her family lifestyle, and she wanted to have enough money to live comfortably. So when her business grew exponentially out of lockdown, she said it was down to the lockdown. But when we dug a bit deeper, it turned out it's due to her problem solving attitude. Her online sales through Etsy, Not On The High Street, Amazon and very occasionally her own website, have been incredible, reaching the top half a percent of Etsy sellers, with thousands of 5 star reviews would be a dream for many business owners. Oh, and she was Jesse's best man. Well, he was her maid of honour! Check out Lello Living for a range of frames, prints and other beautiful things for your house:https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LelloLiving https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/francesbradley https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?me=A2EGRG8IIE7FFZ&marketplaceID=A1F83G8C2ARO7P https://lelloliving.com Thank you to our sponsors, who aren't really sponsors but we just wanted to thank them for being brilliant: https://www.bitsmart.tech To be a guest on nuggets, sign up here: https://www.mentaltheft.co.uk/newtons-nuggets Sponsor Newton's Nuggets here: https://www.mentaltheft.co.uk/sponsorship Buy the MentalTheft book from here in the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/MentalTheft-Your-mind-weakest-link/dp/1838254102 Anywhere else in the world, go to Amazon as usual and search MentalTheft (one word). Thanks as usual to Jesse for making the magic happen: https://www.jlawrence-photography.co.uk Check me out on: https://www.mentaltheft.co.uk #newtonsnuggets

**Please remember to rate and review the podcast - it really helps others to find it.** Christina Pickworth founded THIS MAMA DOES in 2016. With a background in film & television she'd spent over a decade telling stories, but when she became a mother she felt suddenly invisible. Then she had an idea for funny parenting milestone cards that can help tell a story of not just the new baby, but the new parent too - and perhaps send a little SOS out into the world with a smile where there might otherwise be lonely meltdown.  A chance to laugh with other parents in the solidarity of sleepless nights and s**tmageddons. Because the kids might be all kinds of wonderful, but the parents doing all the snot-wiping and tantrum negotiating on 3 hours of sleep and 4 cups of coffee are pretty fab too! Listen in to hear Christina share: An introduction to her and her businesses (1:15) The inspiration for her parenting milestone cards and how she launched them in 3 weeks (1:40) The process of creating her cards - and why who you know can help! (5:17) How she got her first sales (7:44) Some of the milestones on her cards (10:20) How she expanded the range - by signing up with Not On The High Street (11:30) The process of applying for NOTHS with a few top tips! (13:30) How much time she spends on THIS MAMA DOES versus her main business - hint. It's not a lot! (17:00) Selling her cards wholesale and how she got her first orders (22:20) Her number one piece of advice for other product creators (27:49) USEFUL RESOURCES: http://www.thismamadoes.co.uk/ (THIS MAMA DOES website) http://twitter.com/thismamadoes (THIS MAMA DOES on Twitter) THIS MAMA DOES on Facebook THIS MAMA DOES on Instagram https://www.scribbler.com/search-results/?searchterm=this+mama+does&searchterm_submit=Go (THIS MAMA DOES cards on Scribbler) LET'S CONNECT https://www.instagram.com/vickiweinberg_product_creation/ (Find me on Instagram) Work with me

A must-listen for any budding entrepreneur or dynamic creative, this week's episode is with Holly Tucker. A trailblazer, an entrepreneur and a cheerleader for hundreds of small businesses, she founded Not On The High Street and in more recent years, Holly & Co. However, like many people, Holly's path to her passion has had some major obstacles, which true to her effervescent spirit, she has overcome with determination and grace. She has, as the poem says, met with triumph and disaster and treated them the same. Ahead of her time in the opportunity she spotted, she had the guts to persevere in the face of the mostly-men who said no and went on to make the British high street a virtual one. https://bit.ly/3sjdzz8

“Every time you spend money, you cast a vote for the kind of world you want” – Anna LappeHazel Russell (@thewoodlifeproject) is a mother of 2 and co-founder of The Wood Life Project: a beautiful collection of eco-friendly products manufactured in the UK from sustainably grown and harvested trees.Hazel and her husband got the idea for crafting plastic-free bowls, pet bowls and plates after realising just how much plastic went into everyday products around their home. They incorporated in January 2019 and following their first visit to Top Drawer in August 2019, they were onboarded by 25 retailers!Their products are now stocked in a mix of 50 traditional and online retailers, such as Not On The High Street, and The Wood Life Project has been featured in numerous publications, including Forbes, The Times and The Independent.If you’re working in a small business and looking for practical advice on how to grow it, this episode is for you! In our wide-ranging conversation, we discuss practical tips around signing NDAs and manufacturing agreements; moving towards online selling post-pandemic; protecting your IP; margin squeezes with wholesalers; and so much more!You can find Hazel at the following:Instagram: @thewoodlifeproject LinkedIn: Hazel Russell Website: thewoodlifeproject.comKey Points:First steps for The Wood Life Project (4:36)Effects of plastic (7:04)Practical tips around signing NDAs and manufacturing agreements (7:41)Dragon’s Den pitch (8:47)Protecting your IP (9:27)Creativity and some doubts (12:10)Dividing responsibilities (17:28)Moving towards online selling post-pandemic (18:41)Plans on expanding the team (22:03)Margin squeezes with wholesalers (23:27)Handling bad manufacturers (26:42)Mistakes to avoid and some practical tips (30:18)Consider the provenance of your product (35:00) Be sure to follow me on Instagram @entrepreneurscanpartySubscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts! If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!** Want to make this your best year yet? Claim your FREE Annual Blueprint & Strategic Life Plan, packed full of 96 thought-provoking, mind-shifting questions! Visit my website – scottstockdale.co.uk – for details **

As a creative product business, there are many ways that you can get products in front of potential customers, and it's thanks to the ever-growing reach and growth of technology that digital marketplaces have become a major component of the shopping process. From ‘Amazon' to ‘Not On The High Street' and from ‘Etsy' to ‘eBay', third-party marketplaces appear to offer a lot of advantages in the form of increased traffic and exposure to new audiences, often with enticingly reasonable commissions and fees, but it's important to remember that you're not really in the business of selling, you're in the business of acquiring customers, and that building relationships and creating repeat business and super-fans is the path to building a resilient retail business. So, in episode 14 of The Resilient Retail Game Plan, I run through the pros and cons of using these marketplaces; the considerations for you to make before committing yourself and your stock to multiple digital outlets; and the expectations on you as a business owner once you start working with a third-party platform.

Holly Tucker MBE is a British entrepreneur, philanthropist, and UK Ambassador for Creative Small Businesses. She is founder and chief inspiration of the online marketplace, notonthehighstreet.com (http://notonthehighstreet.com/) and founder of Holly & Co, a small business advice and inspiration platform. notonthehighstreet.com (http://notonthehighstreet.com/) has grown to become an award-winning online marketplace, providing a retail platform for 5,000 curated small creative and entrepreneurial businesses, collectively offering more than 200,000 original and innovative products. Holly was awarded an MBE for services to small businesses and enterprise as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours List in June 2013

As the London Entrepreneur Development Manager, Georgina Mackey has had a varied career at NatWest and currently runs the NatWest Accelerator programme in London. This episode explores the free resources and funding options available for start ups in the UK.By working to deliver the NatWest Entrepreneurship strategy across London, she has helped to provide support to over 150 start-ups at any one time! Georgina has worked closely with start-ups by refining their business strategy and enabling growth, but also encouraging stakeholders and corporates to work alongside start-ups and see the benefits of doing so!Find out more about Georgina Mackey via: Twitter and LinkedIn.Resources discussed:NatWest Business Builder (for early stage start-ups online tool): https://natwestbusinessbuilder.com/?NatWest Accelerator Hub (for later stage start-ups): https://www.business.natwest.com/business/business-services/entrepreneur-accelerator.htmlHolly Tucker MBE, founder of Notonthehighstreet: https://natwestbusinesshub.com/articles/hollytuckerA new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

This week’s episode, is packed full of tangible actions and advice, as we tackle two elements at the heart of every successful creative business - getting to grips with your finances and understanding what makes brilliant product - as Emilie Bellet, founder of Vestpod and Ella d’Amato Chief Commercial and Marketing officer of Notonthehighstreet join Holly to share their insights and expertise. SME: SOS is a topical podcast to support small businesses through this turbulent time. Offering advice from experts and founders, this episode is designed to empower and support you through practical tips, advice and real life experiences. This SME: SOS podcast episode is brought to you with thanks to Dell Technologies. Follow Holly and #SMESOS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/?hl=en

She may have founded one of the biggest online retail success stories in British history, but Holly Tucker hasn't stopped dreaming big.   In this inspiring chat with Fearne, she discusses the hard work that went into starting Not On The High Street, her new project Holly & Co, and the stresses that success has put on everyone involved. Discover the Happy Place Virtual Festival - all for free - at happyplacefestival.com This series of Happy Place is supported by Happiful - to discover their magazine or if you're looking for online counselling support in your area, head to happiful.com/happyplace

In the fourth of our six-part 'Ask the Expert' series, Helen interviews Holly Tucker, co-founder of Not On The High Street and founder of Holly&Co about the importance of creativity in navigating through times of change. They talk about how spark your creativity and apply it to your day to day work to create new opportunities for you and your career. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How can you make quick cash and keep your business afloat in this difficult period of lockdown? It’s a question on millions of minds across the world right now.  Fortunately, Catherine is here today to give you ten instant and practical ways to unlock opportunities for making money in a time when you need it the most. With a gallery of ideas, and the online resources to back you up, this is an incredibly timely, and invaluable episode for everyone. KEY TAKEAWAYS Each method will have its own pros and cons, but these will depend upon you and your personal circumstances. Some require investment, and some require a complete pivot in terms of outlook, but all hold value and are worth considering. E-commerce - Specifically the “private labelling” strategy, involving taking a product and re-packaging it for your brand. This strategy requires education and research, but can be a hugely effective way of generating income. Arbitrage - A different form of e-commerce, which takes two forms: online and retail. Arbitrage is the simple act of sourcing a product and selling it on at a profit. It’s important to remember that no-one should attempt to be profiteering during this period. E-commerce drop-shipping - This strategy means that you don’t have to invest in buying the stock before you re-sell it. Essentially you act as a third-party between the manufacturer and the customer as a storefront. The manufacturer ships directly to the customer once an order is placed. Handcrafting and selling -Are you creating a product at home? Would there be a market for it on sites such as Etsy, Not On The High Street, Facebook Sales or eBay? Now might be the time to start selling your handcrafted items online! Online courses - Do you have a specialist skill that you could teach to others? People are determined to keep developing and growing during isolation. This may be a wonderful opportunity to pass your skills on to a waiting world. Facebook/YouTube Live streams - Physical exercise classes, educational lessons, musical tuition and many other skills can be taught easily through Facebook Live and YouTube broadcasts to people hungry for instruction. Podcasting/YouTube - Now is the time to start your podcast! Podcasting can generate income in lots of ways, plus it’s a fabulous means of spending your creativity. It’s easy to start, and audiences are craving content right now. The best part is that you can repurpose in all kinds of ways: scripts into blog posts, and even YouTube videos into audio downloads. Delivery - Logistics is booming right now as most people are having goods and products delivered rather than going out for them. Perhaps you can become a driver for one of the many services out there? Trading - A strategy not for the faint-hearted, and certainly requires a degree of education, and the correct mental capacity and nerve. But trading in stocks and shares is something you can do from home, and there are opportunities to be had in the volatile financial world. Consultancy - Can you offer your knowledge in a consultancy capacity? You may have a wealth of knowledge that has suddenly become highly sought-after. Places such as LinkedIn are marvellous ways of letting the world know that you’re skilled, and that you’re available. BEST MOMENTS ‘Making money is allowed!’ ‘All businesses are allowed to make profit during this time’ ‘People are still having birthdays! People still want to give gifts!’ ‘People want to learn from people who’d been there and done it’ ‘It’s about making money during this time using the resources available to you’ ‘How can you help steer and navigate people through this?' ‘Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others’ VALUABLE RESOURCES   iTunes: www.bit.ly/itunesllpodcast Stitcher: www.bit.ly/stitcherllpodcast Leveraged Lifestyle Community: www.bit.ly/llocfbgroup VIVA Club: www.turnerinvest.co.uk/viva Life Leverage Online Masterclass: www.turnerinvest.co.uk/masterclass Join our VIP Investor List: www.turnerinvest.co.uk/vip    Find the free resources you need at - www.business-sos.com Receive Catherine’s 21 Ways To Re-market Your Podcast Content To Increase ROI And Reach Your Ideal Clients- http://www.catherineaturner.com/#   ABOUT THE HOST Catherine is host of the iTunes No.1 business podcast Leveraged Lifestyle, she is an entrepreneur, businesswoman, Inspirational Speaker, world record holder, Founder of Turner Invest and a mum of 2! Catherine quit being an employee in 2013, after working more than 50+ hours on average a week, over 3 jobs. Jobs, hours and a lifestyle which led to a diagnosis of clinical depression before the age of 25. In 2011/12 Catherine discovered the power of investing in property, and has experience in Single Lets, Flips, Deal packaging, House of Multiple Occupation (HMOs), Serviced Accommodation and Developments mainly in her home county of Essex, but also across the UK, helping investors, landlords and developers create a better return on their money or property. Catherine started Leveraged Lifestyle podcast to share with business owners, entrepreneurs and those not leading their ideal lifestyle, the mindset and skill set it takes to create a lifestyle of freedom & choice. Catherine has identified 7 key areas of leverage, which we can all tap into: time, money, knowledge, talent, experience, brand, our strengths. This coupled with the SOS model created by Stephen Turner (Catherine’s business partner & husband): Systemise, Outsource & Scale, Leveraged Lifestyle podcast is here to help you create a business that gives you the lifestyle you want. CONTACT METHOD http://www.catherineaturner.com Email: media@turnerinvest.co.uk www.instagram.com/catherineannt www.facebook.com/catherineturnerspeaker www.linkedin.com/in/catherineturnerspeaker

Our 12 in 12 Podcast series showcases 12 People Professionals from a wide range of backgrounds as they share their HR story with our podcast host Lucinda in just 12 minutes (or as close to)! Each week in December the podcast will cover 3 of these conversations. Therefore, read on to find out who Lucinda will be speaking with in this week's episode… Introducing our first guest, Ruth Cornish People Professional: Ruth Cornish, Owner & HR Consultant at Amelore Our first guest, Ruth Cornish, is a Human Resources expert and experienced coach with more than 25 years' experience. She's worked for American Express, city investment banks ABN Amro & Charterhouse as well as the Environment Agency. In addition, she has been a regular columnist for Moneywise magazine. She is also the HR expert in ‘Shape up your business' the latest book by Notonthehighstreet.com. She currently runs her own HR & coaching consultancy Amelore, based in Gloucestershire with clients in London as well as working nationally. Key Information: Connect with Ruth on LinkedIn Amelore Website Book on Amazon: Shape Up Your Business: The founders of notonthehighstreet.com share their story in a 30-day success plan Welcoming our second guest, Caroline Crawley People Professional: Caroline Crawley, Quality Business Partner at Interserve Learning and Employment Introducing our second guest, Caroline, who leads a quality and curriculum team for Interserve Learning and Employment. She's responsible for ensuring apprentices receive the best quality teaching and learning experiences. Interserve Learning and Employment provide first-class education and employment services across the country. They work collaboratively with people to fulfil their potential and help organisations to grow by upskilling their workforce. They have also been doing this for over 34 years. In addition, they continue to support over 7,000 learners per year progress in their chosen careers. By working within senior leadership roles for the last 7 years, Caroline has been involved in HR activity on a regular basis. Unfortunately, these are usually the unpleasant activities. However, through working with some great HR professionals Caroline saw how HR could really help to shape a business and nurture its employees. As a result, this led Caroline to want to complete her CIPD qualification. Due to having a busy life this was never achieved; that was the case until Interserve Learning and Employment agreed to invest in her development and enrolled her onto an HR Business Partner/Consultant Apprenticeship L5 through their levy. Through this, she has been provided with the opportunity to lead on projects which will support the continued growth and success of the business. In addition, Caroline is a qualified teacher, a Business Management graduate from the University of Chester. She is also a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner. Key Information: Connect with Caroline on LinkedIn Interserve Learning and Employment Website Rounding off this episode, our guest Willorna Brock People Professional: Willorna Brock, HR Business Partner at The Association of Commonwealth Universities Introducing our final guest, Willorna Brock, who is a qualified teacher and HR professional. She has gained experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, mostly for international organisations. Willorna is a graduate in French and Spanish with International Studies. In addition, Willorna holds a Master's in HR Management from the University of Surrey. She is also a Chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Professional Development (CIPD). After leaving University, Willorna had a few temporary roles at the Department of Trade and Industry and city banks including Merrill Lynch before securing a position in Project Finance at Société Générale, a French Investment bank, before moving onto teaching Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) at the Institute of Education, University of London. Willorna has worked in HR roles within various organisations including London Boroughs of Sutton and Merton, Atkins Global, Ernst and Young, Unilever, PWC, CGI as well as Save the Children. She joined the Association of Commonwealth Universities in 2018. She is their very first HRBP, working on HR transformation and helping to drive change to enable the organisation to meet its new strategic goals. Willorna has also set up her own HR Consultancy to help SMEs, called Goshenn HR. She has engaged in various speaking engagements and hosted several events relating to young people and employability skills, co-launching an annual initiative ‘Fit for the Future' in November 2018. Willorna recently launched a book Job Hunting: Myths, Secrets and Truths, which she calls a “Tell it as it is” book on job hunting. To combine her various interests, in February 2019, Willorna launched #TheNoDramaLounge, a Facebook community for people to engage, interact and seek ideas to live a life of meaning and purpose. The group's themes include health and wellbeing, education and lifelong learning. Key Information: Connect with Willorna on LinkedIn Willorna Brock's Book on Amazon: Job Hunting: Myths, Secrets and Truths: Why some candidates are more successful than others The Association of Commonwealth Universities Website Valuable Resources Host of The HR Uprising Podcast, Lucinda Carney, is also the founder and CEO of Actus Software, where you can find additional free HR Resources: https://actus.co.uk/free-performance-management-resources/ About The Host Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles and a further 10 as CEO of Actus Software where she worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. Therefore, it was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up' together. "When we look up we rise up” Contact Method Join the HR Uprising LinkedIn community - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13714397/ Email: Lucinda@advancechange.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucindacarney/ Twitter: @lucindacarney Instagram: @hruprising Facebook: @hruprising YouTube: Channel See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week I sat down with Danielle Kendall, 36, started Team Hen in 2014 whilst on maternity leave with her first child. Having left an IT career in the City, Danielle found being a full-time mother was becoming detrimental to her mental health. She started Team Hen whilst organising her best friends Hen Party and found everything Hen Party related was garish and over the top. Her original designs proved popular, and in just 5 short years Team Hen has grown from a hobby to a profitable business turning over in excess of 250k a year. We dived into subjects such as how and when to take on staff, staying small and keeping costs low, using Not On The High Street and Etsy vs. just selling on your website and using Instagram as a sales platform. If you'd like to join over 2.5k female founders who have put their names down on our waitlist (in a bid to sign up to our membership platform featuring 950+ members in 11+ countries) when we let in new members on the 31st January... you can do so here www.thecovengirlgang.com Lastly, you can find us on Instagram @thecovengirlgang Enjoy the episode! 

John Amaechi is joined by Holly Tucker, founder of online marketplace Not On The High Street. Holly tells John about being an entrepreneur from an early age, why business isn't taught properly to young people and why helping others to grow their companies is more important to her than making money. N.B. This show was recorded last year.

Have you ever had a spark of an idea that scared you a bit... but then kind of got a mind of its own? Yeah- that's exactly what happened with the Small & Supercharged Podcast Live! I had an idea to do a live recording of the Small & Supercharged Podcast a while ago - inspired by the fact that the podcast is now over a year old, I've had incredible feedback, and I'd heard a live podcast recorded by the powerhouse Holly Tucker, founder of Not On The High Street and Holly & Co. And I liked the idea. I didn't want to do the same thing, but the thought of a live recording interested me a lot. I mentioned this idea to Victoria Bodey, founder of Equiboodle... and she offered her stunning shop as the venue. And as they say the rest is history. In this episode of the podcast, I talk through the idea, the development, the fears, the worries, the result and everything else too. I hope it inspires you to push yourself a little bit... if you need a push, this is it.

This week Holly speaks to investor Tom Teichman, the founder of Spark Ventures & The Garage Soho.  Known as ‘Britain’s most-successful digital start-up backer’ Tom has invested in companies such as LastMinute.com, Moshi Monsters and Made.com.  He also played a key role in Holly's business journey, when he invested in Notonthehighstreet. Together they recount the serendipitous way in which Tom and Holly met, and the incredible journey they embarked on. Now Tom runs his latest venture from his Soho townhouse incubator office with his co-founder, the advertising guru Sir John Hegarty. Investing and mentoring small businesses with a focus on technology-enabled consumer brands.  In this conversation, Holly and Tom discuss his incredible journey from arriving in England as a refugee, taking inspiration from his entrepreneurial parents, to becoming one of the most well known and respected venture capitalist investors in Britain.  A highly personal interview, Holly and Tom discuss the importance of intuition and emotion in business, how finding the ying to your yang in a business partner makes for a stronger business, and the key points he looks for when investing in a business.  Find tickets to Conversations of Inspiration Live at https://holly.co/events/  Conversations of Inspiration is brought to you with support from NatWest: visit natwestbusinesshub.com for information, tips and insights to help business owners meet their goals.   Follow Holly on Instagram: instagram.com/hollytucker/?hl=en

As a mother, MBE and founder of Not on the High Street, Holly Tucker is a force to be reckoned with. After pumping over £600m into the UK economy with her business, Holly wants to help other women do the same with her book, Build A Business From Your Kitchen Table. Listen now to find out more about the highs and lows of her journey, the key to finding the right investor, and balancing motherhood with a booming business. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today is a coaching episode with one of my former coaching clients, Joanne Griffin of Arnold & Bird. Joanne is a design and product specialist who cut her teeth at Not On The High Street and who now empowers design-led souls through product development, graphic design and the odd physical product too. In this episode we do a deep dive into email marketing - growing your list, opt ins, marketing your emails like a product and how to make sure they get opened. So let’s dive in.

Today is a coaching episode with Jane Lindsey of Snapdragon Studio. I was excited to get Jane onto the podcast as she has built the on-paper success many would dream of with over 100,000 sales on Not On The High Street, but in the last year has decided to take the business in a new direction. In this episode we talk all about value - what it even is, the difference between physical and e-products, and we get into the free vs paid debate.

Today we are delighted to bring you Holly Tucker, the co-founder of the first marketplace of its kind, notonthehighstreet.com, the place to pick up fantastic inspiration and bespoke gifts. Side note: notonthehighstreet.com is also very helpful when you’re trying to get back into your mum’s good books and make her happy with a thoughtful hand-designed gift. Just saying! Since stepping away from day to day operations she's now championing creative business owners through her new venture - Holly & Co.Like so many businesses, it was set up around a kitchen table shared by her co-founder Sophie Cornish. We dare say this was the inspiration behind her bestselling book, “Build a Business from Your Kitchen Table”, but you know, that’s just a guess!Hear more about Holly’s inspirational story, as she shares the highs and lows of building one of Britain’s best-loved online marketplaces.We chat about:Working from the age of 13Creating notonthehighstreet.com together with Sophie Cornish at their respective kitchen tablesGiving back and helping small businesses thriveWhy Holly advises entrepreneurs to trust their internal compassesLinks:Not On The High StreetHolly & CoWant to receive our podcast on a weekly basis? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen!

In the final episode of this series Nikki Bedi is joined by two founders who have placed community at the heart of their mission. Holly Tucker - founder of Not On The High Street and Holly & Co - explains why supporting small businesses has become her obsession, whilst Pip Jamieson shares how she’s built both profit and purpose in her creative network, The Dots. Meanwhile Voom reporter Chris Reed also explores community spirit in the craft beer industry, as he meets Logan Plant from Beavertown Brewery. Plus we go inside Voom Pioneers, our very own small business community. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome back to a brand new season of Let’s Discuss! This season we are talking ALL things festive - from gifting, to wellbeing, party dressing and so much more. This season we have the absolute pleasure of being joined by a host of very special guests. Each one is as inspiring as the other, and we can’t wait for you to get to know them all! We are kick starting Season 3 with none other than Holly Tucker MBE, co-founder of Not On The High Street, and the incredible Holly & Co.  Holly is one of the most pioneering businesswomen in the world today, and we are over the moon to have been able to sit down with her (at the table she dreamt up Not On The High Street on - no less!) to discuss her career journey, thoughtful gifting and why it’s important for us to reassess the vocabulary we use in life and in business.  This is a truly inspiring interview, and we hope that it will help you to get into the swing of the festive season, your career ambitions and those all important holiday gifts! A quick audio note: as we were recording at the lovely Holly & Co you may hear some background noise. We hope you’ll enjoy the buzz of the cafe (and that it’s not too distracting!). EPISODE 19 SHOW NOTES Thank you to our wonderful sponsors this season: House of Fraser and Birchbox.  Ella's blog - Coco's Tea Party Monica's blog - The Elgin Avenue Ella's Instagram account - @CocosTeaParty  Monica's Instagram account - @MonicaBeatrice Discover Holly’s amazing businesses: Holly & Co Not On The High Street  Personalised Christmas sack from Not On The High Street Holly’s 3 words for 2018: Community, Collaboration, Courage The Weekly 5 - Our 5 Favourite Christmas Songs Click Here to listen to the Let’s Discuss Christmas Playlist! Holly’s Christmas Songs Last Christmas by Wham Do They Know It’s Christmas by Band Aid, 1984 version Real Love by Tom Odell Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Frank Sinatra  Fairytale of New York by The Pogues (featuring Kirsty MacColl)  Ella’s Christmas Songs Santa Clause Is Back In Town by Elvis Presley Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by She and Him Sleigh Ride by The Ronettes Baby It’s Cold Outside by Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas by Michael Bublé Monica’s Christmas Songs Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Michael Bublé Frosty The Snowman by The Jackson 5 Let It Snow by She and Him Santa Claus Is Coming To Town by Kylie Minogue (featuring Frank Sinatra) Jingle Bells by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Welcome back to a brand new season of Let’s Discuss! This season we are talking ALL things festive - from gifting, to wellbeing, party dressing and so much more. This season we have the absolute pleasure of being joined by a host of very special guests. Each one is as inspiring as the other, and we can’t wait for you to get to know them all! We are kick starting Season 3 with none other than Holly Tucker MBE, co-founder of Not On The High Street, and the incredible Holly & Co.  Holly is one of the most pioneering businesswomen in the world today, and we are over the moon to have been able to sit down with her (at the table she dreamt up Not On The High Street on - no less!) to discuss her career journey, thoughtful gifting and why it’s important for us to reassess the vocabulary we use in life and in business.  This is a truly inspiring interview, and we hope that it will help you to get into the swing of the festive season, your career ambitions and those all important holiday gifts! A quick audio note: as we were recording at the lovely Holly & Co you may hear some background noise. We hope you’ll enjoy the buzz of the cafe (and that it’s not too distracting!). EPISODE 19 SHOW NOTES Thank you to our wonderful sponsors this season: House of Fraser and Birchbox.  Ella's blog - Coco's Tea Party Monica's blog - The Elgin Avenue Ella's Instagram account - @CocosTeaParty  Monica's Instagram account - @MonicaBeatrice Discover Holly’s amazing businesses: Holly & Co Not On The High Street  Personalised Christmas sack from Not On The High Street Holly’s 3 words for 2018: Community, Collaboration, Courage The Weekly 5 - Our 5 Favourite Christmas Songs Click Here to listen to the Let’s Discuss Christmas Playlist! Holly’s Christmas Songs Last Christmas by Wham Do They Know It’s Christmas by Band Aid, 1984 version Real Love by Tom Odell Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Frank Sinatra  Fairytale of New York by The Pogues (featuring Kirsty MacColl)  Ella’s Christmas Songs Santa Clause Is Back In Town by Elvis Presley Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by She and Him Sleigh Ride by The Ronettes Baby It’s Cold Outside by Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas by Michael Bublé Monica’s Christmas Songs Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Michael Bublé Frosty The Snowman by The Jackson 5 Let It Snow by She and Him Santa Claus Is Coming To Town by Kylie Minogue (featuring Frank Sinatra) Jingle Bells by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Season 2, kicks off with the first business expert to join us this season, the Co-Founder of Not On The High Street and Holly & Co, Holly Tucker MBE. Holly chats to me about growing a business from the kitchen table to a multi-million turnover, starting again with her new venture the creative agency Holly & Co as well as what to consider when raising investment and what she looks for when investing in people and products herself. There's also lots of chat about my favourite social media app - Instagram! Full show notes http://smallandmighty.co/podcast/S2E1 Website: smallandmighty.co Instagram: @samburgessuk Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallandmightybusiness/

“Being a good consultant, being able to problem solve in a room with a whiteboard, is not the same as being able to get things done,” argues Davor Hebel, managing partner for Europe at Eight Roads ventures (and previous consultant). Davor’s area of focus at Eight Roads includes consumer and enterprise technology - with Innogames (bought by MTG), Treatwell (bought by recruit) and Notonthehighstreet among the companies he has worked alongside. Davor spent several years at McKinsey and Company, where he advised companies on issues of strategy and technology. He was also an entrepreneur in his native Croatia. Davor holds a tech degree from ASU, an MISM from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Speaking to Seedcamp partner Carlos Espinal, Davor discusses moving from Croatia and transitioning from a Communist state to market economy - the US - where he was ‘enamoured by capitalist society, the private economy, talk of entrepreneurship and ownership of companies’. Learn more about the proof points Eight Roads looks for in companies, including repeatable revenue and an understanding of which marketing channels are starting to scale, and which type of companies should consider relocating to the US. Show notes: Carlos Medium: sdca.mp/2entVR3 Seedcamp: www.seedcamp.com Eight Roads: www.eightroads.com Related bio links: Carlos: linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal / twitter.com/cee Davor linkedin.com/in/davorhebel / twitter.com/dhebel

In this Focus Forty episode of The Design Your Thinking Podcast, I talk to Marc Abraham about his success & thinking and the Product Mindset. Who is Marc Abraham? Marc is an experienced product management professional, having developed a wide range of products at companies such as 7digital, Notonthehighstreet and now at World First. In this particular […]The post DYT 010 : Curiosity and The Art of Product Management with Marc Abraham appeared first on .

Martin Mignot is an early stage investor at Index Ventures where he specialises in SaaS, marketplaces and mobile. He is actively looking after Index's investments in Algolia, Blablacar, Capitaine Train, Deliveroo, Drivy, Rad, Swiftkey and TheFamily. He worked on 50+ transactions to date, including Assistly, Auxmoney, BaseCRM, Cloud.com, Codecademy, DimDim, Factual, Farfetch, Flipboard, Funding Circle, Gluster, HouseTrip, Just-Eat, Lookout, Nastygal, Notonthehighstreet, Onefinestay, PeoplePerHour, TrustPilot, Soluto and SoundCloud.  Prior to joining Index, Martin was in the TMT team at UBS Investment Bank and co-founded the beauty subscription business Boudoir Prive (acquired by Joliebox/Birchbox) and a student web radio service (www.rsp.fm).   A special thank you to Mattermark for providing all the data displayed in today's show and you can find out more about Mattermark here!    Click To Play   In Today's Episode You Will Learn: 1.) Where did it all start for Martin? What is the Martin Mignot story? 2.) How does Martin view venture as a career vs coming into it later on? Why does Martin think venture is now a viable career from the offset? 3.) Does Martin agree with Sheryl Sandberg’s statement, it doesn’t matter where you sit, as long as you have a seat on the rocketship? How important is valuation for Martin when making the decision? 4.) How Martin goes about sourcing the latest and greatest startups from the European ecosystem? 5.) How does Martin evaluate founders and consider their ability to execute on their plan, prior to making the investment? 6.) Talking of difficulty for startups attaining funding, what are your thoughts on VC founder alignment? You have said to focus before on the business and not the team, unless exceptional cases prevail, this is very strange for me to hear. Why is it you have adopted this stance and why do you feel it is best? Items Mentioned In Today's Episode: Martin's Fave Book: I Have America Surrounded by Tim Leary Martin's Fave Blog or Newsletter: Ben Evans Newsletter   As always you can follow The Twenty Minute VC, Harry and Martin on Twitter here! If you would like to see a more colourful side to Harry with many a mojito session, you can follow him on Instagram here!