Ever wondered as a small business if you should share your personal views or keep it strictly business?  For Rebecca Strickson she sees it as one and the same thing.  In this episode, alongside Rebecca’s personal journey to a successful artist, Holly and Rebecca explore the role that political and personal opinion play within building a brand.  They also discuss the barriers facing women entering into the creative industries as well as exploring Rebecca’s own influences and driving force behind her work. Conversations of Inspiration is brought to you with support from NatWest: visit natwestbusinesshub.com/hollytucker for information, tips and insights to help business owners meet their goals.   Follow Holly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/?hl=en 

Conversations of Inspiration

Cheerleading change through art, with Rebecca Strickson, Award-Winning Illustrator and Designer

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

SME: SOS Live - with Emilie Bellet, founder of Vestpod and Ella d’Amato, CMO of Notonthehighstreet

What does living with cancer do to your perspective on life? If Deborah James is anything to go by, it gives you a hunger for life, and a drive to make fundamental and long-lasting change to the system. Mum of two, Deborah James, also known as Bowel Babe, joins Holly in this episode to discuss her formative years, how she navigated the news every person would dread and how she is spending each day driving to make a change to the system. It is this desire to see a better way and strive to change it, that runs throughout Deborah’s story.  Her open and honest words on riding the roller coaster of life are a testament to the power of the human spirit. Conversations of Inspiration is brought to you with support from NatWest: visit natwestbusinesshub.com/hollytucker for information, tips and insights to help business owners meet their goals.   Follow Holly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/?hl=en 

Being a beacon of light in the face of adversity with Deborah James of Bowel Babe

In a world in which we are acutely aware of what is out of our control, this week Holly speaks to two brilliant experts, who share insights on what we can control - albeit in very different forms.  The first being supercharging our social media presence with Kathryn Tyler, co-founder of Digital Mums and the second how we can determine our own mindsets, and build our own happiness with Samantha Clarke, author of Love it or Leave it. Holly also revisits a conversation from the Congregation of Inspiration with Fearne Cotton as they discuss what it means to be ‘happy’.   SME: SOS is a topical podcast to support small businesses through this turbulent time of the Coronavirus. Offering advice from experts and founders, these 30 minutes are designed to empower and support you through this climate. This SME: SOS Special episode of Conversations of Inspiration is brought to you with thanks to NatWest, Dell, Three and Royal Mail. Follow Holly and #SMESOS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/?hl=en

SME: SOS Live - with Kathryn Tyler, co-founder of Digital Mums and Samantha Clarke, Happiness Consultant

With a strong mission to empower women in the boardroom as well as the bedroom, Jacquline revolutionised a male-dominated industry.   Beginning her career at 21 when she started working for her father’s company, Jacqueline quickly saw the potential to change the focus of the business.  Using her passion, ambition, and creativity Jacquline developed the concept of at-home parties and forever changed the way women could shop for lingerie and sex toys.   This episode follows Jacquline’s incredible journey of a young woman bringing sex to the high street, empowering women in business and overcoming personal tragedy.   Warning - this conversation includes the heartbreaking loss of Jacqueline's son. Conversations of Inspiration is brought to you with support from NatWest: visit natwestbusinesshub.com/hollytucker for information, tips and insights to help business owners meet their goals.   Follow Holly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/?hl=en 

Empowering women in the bedroom & the board room with Jacqueline Gold CBE, CEO of Ann Summers

The crucial importance of small businesses to the UK economy has never been so acute, and this week Holly is joined by two fundamental pillars of support for small businesses at this time - Instagram and NatWest. Both brands share their insights, tools and support for small businesses beyond COVID. We also revisit a past podcast with Joe Wicks, as he shares his view on the role social media has played in his brand success.   SME: SOS is a topical podcast to support small businesses through this turbulent time of the Coronavirus. Offering advice from experts and founders, these 30 minutes are designed to empower and support you through this climate. This SME: SOS Special episode of Conversations of Inspiration is brought to you with thanks to NatWest, Dell, Three and Royal Mail. Follow Holly and #SMESOS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/?hl=e (https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/?hl=en) n

SME: SOS - Live with Gord Ray, from Instagram and Julie Baker, from NatWest

Tough times don’t last, tough people do - are the words shared in this episode by Rob and Paul, the founders of Gandys. But what do you do, when the very worst happens? How will the experience shape your life, and what will life look like on the other side?  Recounting their experience of the Tsunami where Rob and Paul, were orphaned at a young age, resilience, building a legacy and purpose sit at the very core of this conversation. This episode follows Rob and Paul's journey to change the lives of children across the world through their foundation, as they share their views on retail, the high street and building a better world through business.   Conversations of Inspiration is brought to you with support from NatWest: visit natwestbusinesshub.com/hollytucker for information, tips and insights to help business owners meet their goals. Follow Holly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/?hl=en

From Tragedy to Triumph, using business to create a lasting legacy with Rob and Paul Forkin, Founders of Gandys

As the high street shops reopen this week, this episode focuses on the future of retail, from retail giants including Mark Constantine, founder of LUSH, and Roger Wade, founder of Boxpark.  We also hear from Bill Collison, founder of Bill’s restaurants - and they all share the same ethos, that being special to your customer, the vital importance of physical connection and the power of retail theatre are the key to a thriving retail sector of the future. SME: SOS is a topical podcast to support small businesses through this turbulent time of the Coronavirus. Offering advice from experts and founders, these 30 minutes are designed to empower and support you through this climate. This SME: SOS Special episode of Conversations of Inspiration is brought to you with thanks to NatWest, Dell, Three and Royal Mail. Follow Holly and #SMESOS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/?hl=en

SME: SOS - Live with Mark Constantine OBE and Roger Wade

How does a beauty counter girl, become the beauty industry’s most powerful women at 50? This week, Holly speaks to Caroline Hirons. Born in Liverpool but her childhood spent in Mississippi, Caroline’s greatest influences on her life were her grandmother and mother both of whom were beauty counter girls. With a love of the glamour and strong memories of the scents and makeup so loved by her heroines, you would imagine that Caroline’s path to beauty industry powerhouse was set. But after many years herself on the beauty counter at Harvey Nichols, it was at 40, when Caroline started her blog, that her life took a dramatic turn. Fast forward 10 years, 13 million views on YouTube, 120 million views on her blog, and her latest book ‘Skincare’ has topped the Amazon bestsellers list on pre-order alone, Caroline’s success and legions of fans for her no-nonsense approach to skincare continues to grow. Funny, honest, and truly authentic - this conversation covers everything from harnessing the power of social media and the role YouTube can play in building a brand, to remaining truly authentic and unapologetic for staying true to your own values and views. Conversations of Inspiration is brought to you with support from NatWest: visit natwestbusinesshub.com/hollytucker for information, tips and insights to help business owners meet their goals/ Follow Holly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/?hl=en

From Counter Girl to the Most Powerful Woman in the Beauty Industry with Caroline Hirons, Skincare expert & YouTuber, Founder of Caroline Hirons

Resilience, embracing the unknown and how business leaders can lead the way in societal change are just some of the topics that Holly covers with Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, founder of The Black Farmer and Lauren Currie OBE, founder and CEO of Stride.   SME: SOS is a topical podcast to support small businesses through this turbulent time of the Coronavirus. Offering advice from experts and founders, these 30 minutes are designed to empower and support you through this climate. This SME: SOS Special episode of Conversations of Inspiration is brought to you with thanks to NatWest, Dell, Three and Royal Mail. Follow Holly and #SMESOS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/?hl=en

SME: SOS - Live with Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones MBE and Lauren Currie OBE

A funny, straight-talking and brilliant storyteller, John’s journey will have you enraptured from start to finish, in what must be one of the most iconic social enterprises in existence today. Lord John Bird’s story is one of the greatest Holly has had the pleasure to share on this podcast. From his early days in an orphanage, surviving through fighting and stealing, John’s childhood was not an easy one. Poverty-stricken, and in and out of prison, John realised that he would have to make his own path in life. It was a chance meeting, which developed into a friendship with Gordon Roddick (Anita Roddick’s husband), that would set John off on his incredible journey with ‘The Big Issue’. 29 years later, and over 200 million copies sold, The Big Issue is a social enterprise synonymous with the UK and has supported hundreds of thousands of people on the streets. This is a story of grit, chance meetings and the belief that poverty and social inequality should be tackled by empowering those so often forgotten in society. Conversations of Inspiration is brought to you with support from NatWest: visit natwestbusinesshub.com/hollytucker for information, tips and insights to help business owners meet their goals. Follow Holly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/?hl=en

2: From the streets to the House of Lords, through the power of business with Lord John Bird MBE, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Big Issue

The recent months have moved the conversation around flexible working forward at a dramatic pace, but as employees realise the huge benefits, will businesses change the way in which they ask their most valuable assets to work? Anna Whitehouse, also known as Mother Pukka has been leading the Flex Appeal campaign for flexible working since 2015, and throughout this conversation she shares her own personal journey, from lawyer, to journalist and then finding her voice leading the campaign for change.   Sharing the insights and statistics that highlight the many benefits of a flexible workforce, Anna also delves into the lows along her own journey and reflects on how these moments led to her being the voice of change for women in the workplace across the UK. Warning - in this conversation Anna covers the difficult topic of miscarriage. Conversations of Inspiration is brought to you with support from NatWest: visit natwestbusinesshub.com/hollytucker for information, tips and insights to help business owners meet their goals. Follow Holly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/?hl=en

The future of business is flexible with Anna Whitehouse, Journalist and Founder of Mother Pukka

This week's guests are each from widely different sectors, but share a common view, that the future for creative businesses will be bright, as long as brands embrace the speed of change that is demanded of them right now. From company culture with Edward Perry, co founder of COOK, to what the government are doing to support small with Steve Barclay MP and how DELL are moving quickly to provide small businesses with all the tools they need to thrive - these 30 minutes will arm you with the insights to navigate this time and build for the future.   SME: SOS is a topical podcast to support small businesses through this turbulent time of the Coronavirus. Offering advice from experts and founders, these 30 minutes are designed to empower and support you through this climate.

SME: SOS - Embracing the speed of Change

Every business has been tested and has something to learn as it navigates this time - but not every business is struggling, in fact some are thriving.  This week, Holly speaks to three founders, who all in their own way, are thriving at this time - Jo Tutchener Sharp, founder of Scamp and Dude, Pippa Murray, founder of Pip and Nut, and finally Jayne Hardy, the founder of the Blurt Foundation. As well as discussing what they have learnt, Holly also explores whether the way in which we work has been revolutionised forever. SME: SOS is a topical podcast to support small businesses through this turbulent time of the Coronavirus. Offering advice from experts and founders, these 30 minutes are designed to empower and support you through this climate.

SME: SOS - Surviving and thriving through lockdown

In this episode, Holly discusses what the future of hospitality might look like with Robin Hutson, founder of The Pig and Asma Khan, founder of Darjeeling Express, as well as discussing the vital need to adapt quickly and use this time to reflect on ourselves and our businesses. Annika, from Three UK also shares some lessons big businesses have learnt through this time and how vital community and company culture are. SME: SOS is a topical podcast to support small businesses through this turbulent time of the Coronavirus. Offering advice from experts and founders, these 30 minutes are designed to empower and support you through this climate. This SME: SOS Special episode of Conversations of Inspiration is brought to you with thanks to NatWest, Dell, Three and Royal Mail. Follow Holly and #SMESOS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollytucker/?hl=en

Community, Connection and Hope - How this time will change the future of business forever?

As founder of Notonthehighstreet and Holly & Co, Holly Tucker has spent the last 15 years growing and empowering small businesses around the UK. In Conversations of Inspiration, Holly will talk to a new founder each week to hear the highs and lows encountered whilst building their business, and share some advice and inspiration along the way.

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Conversations of Inspiration

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