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award entry noticed by the judges for all the right reasons.
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Episode 187: Fashion, Confidence, and Business Success with Catherine Grout
Wednesday, March 11, 2026 • Duration 26:23
Debbie Gilbert hosts our latest conversation, Fashion, Confidence, and Business Success with Catherine Grout, personal stylist and colour confidence expert. Catherine is founder of style consultancy What I Am Wearing, winner of a Silver Award for Best New Business at the 2025 Best Business Women Awards.
Catherine shares how a long career in tech led to redundancy, a lockdown fashion blog, and ultimately a thriving styling business built around helping professional women look and feel brilliant. She trained at the London College of Style and now teaches there too.
In this episode she covers the three fundamentals of personal styling: colour analysis, body shape, and style personality. Furthermore, she explains why understanding these can genuinely transform how you show up in business and in life.
There is also a brilliant story behind the showstopping teal gown Catherine wore to the awards (spoiler: it cost less than a tenner from a charity shop). Plus there are some brilliant tips on sustainable fashion shopping.
Catherine also gives us a sneak peek at her exciting plans for 2026. These include a new group programme called Style and Grow, more teaching, and possibly even a book.
About Catherine
Catherine is an award-winning Personal Stylist, Colour Analyst and educator, specialising in helping mid-life women feel confident, visible and empowered through personal style. Founder of a successful styling and colour analysis business, she is particularly known for her work with women navigating menopause, career shifts and business growth. Her approach blends practical wardrobe solutions with colour psychology, body confidence and personal branding, helping clients feel more like themselves rather than following trends. In 2025, she was proud to receive Silver for Best Business at the Best Business Women Awards, recognising both her impact and her values-led approach.
Alongside her client work, Catherine is a tutor for the London College of Style. Here she teaches colour analysis to adult students, supporting the next generation of stylists to build skill, confidence and professionalism. She also delivers talks, workshops and online sessions, being passionate about making style feel accessible, joyful and supportive, not intimidating. Catherine's mission is simple: to help women dress themselves happy, with clarity, confidence and intention at every stage of life.
{1:40} Why Catherine is so passionate about fashion.
{3:32} The thought process and experience that led to Catherine's business.
{5:09} THe challenges of leaving corporate life.
{6:11} The work Catherine does with her customers.
{11:54} Why feeling confident in what you're wearing is so important.
{13:57} The teal gown that was a showstopper at the 2025 BBWA Final.
{16:26} Entering the Best New Business category at the 2025 BBWAs.
Episode 186: Ensure Your Business is SEO Visible with Emily Williams
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 • Duration 24:13
This week we help you Ensure Your Business is SEO Visible with Emily Williams, founder of Content Clever and silver winner at the 2025 Best Business Women Awards.
She joins Debbie to talk all things content strategy, SEO, and why she's on a mission to help female-led businesses find their voice online.
After burning out three times by age 27 whilst working in healthcare, Emily took her marketing degree, her husband's encouragement, and a healthy dose of determination - and built a thriving content business from the ground up.
Key takeaways from this episode:
SEO basics still matter: Fresh, quality content updated regularly, proper indexing, and filling in your SEO plugin fields (title, meta description) correctly can make a significant difference to how Google ranks you
AI has its place — but it's not a shortcut: Use it for ideas and research, but never publish unedited AI content on your site
Consistency beats volume: One well-written blog post a month beats six that fizzle out. Aim for 800-1,000 words and repurpose each post across up to eight pieces of social content
Keyword research doesn't have to be scary: Free tools like Answer the Public and Ubersuggest are a great starting points
On entering awards: Even copywriters find writing about themselves hard — but the process (and the shortlisting email) was absolutely worth it
Coming up for Emily in 2026: A 12-week course for female entrepreneurs who want to master their own content strategy, plus a first entry into the Best SME Awards.
About Emily
Emily Williams is the founder of Content Clever, an SEO and content consultancy helping female founders, SMEs and agencies give their businesses consistent visibility. With over five years' experience running her own agency, Emily specialises in SEO-led content strategies, GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), and content systems that actually work in the real world.
She has a background in healthcare marketing and now works across a wide range of industries, combining strategic thinking with practical execution. Emily is passionate about making SEO feel accessible, sustainable, and free from fluff—focusing on content that supports long-term growth, not just quick wins.
Episode 177: How a Coach Can Transform Your Working Life with Kate Bishop
Wednesday, January 7, 2026 • Duration 32:16
How a Coach Can Transform Your Working Life with Kate Bishop is the latest episode of the Business Awards Podcast.
Kate shares her journey from burning out in the events industry to discovering coaching almost by accident. After attending a weekend coaching course on a colleague's recommendation (expecting just free coffee!), she found her calling and never looked back.
Now specialising in career change and presentation skills, Kate works with people who feel stuck, lacking confidence, or unsure of their next steps. Whether it's toxic work environments, redundancy, or just feeling invisible in hybrid working situations, Kate helps clients rediscover their value and find their voice. Her aim, to make her clients' Mondays as amazing as their Fridays!
Key Topics Covered
The burnout wake-up call – How Kate's own experience shapes her empathic coaching approach
Confidence myths – Why you don't need to be the loudest person in the room
Public speaking fears – Kate's tips for getting visible without the terror (spoiler: it's just having a conversation!)
The awards journey – How entering the Best Businesswomen Awards became a valuable reflection exercise
Networking survival guide – Kate's golden rule: be curious about others
Visibility struggles – Why so many business owners hide from social media and how to reframe it
Kate's Top Tip
Remember: it's not about you, it's about your business. When you're putting yourself out there on social media or at events, frame it as sharing your business message rather than putting a spotlight on yourself.
About Kate
Kate helps brilliant and but frustrated professionals and business owners rediscover their spark and reclaim their working week with bravery and courage.
Kate plots a strategy that ignites her clients' purpose and passions designed around their lives, to ensure the right balance.
She rebuilds confidence to allow her coachees to feel calm and in control, especially when having to make those big, hairy decisions!
Episode 087: The Brand Artisan with Becky Benfield-Humberstone
Wednesday, February 7, 2024 • Duration 24:08
The Brand Artisan with Becky Benfield-Humberstone is now available on the Business Awards Show.
Becky was a silver award winner in the Best Solopreneur category at the 2023 Best Businesswomen Awards, having grown her branding business, the Brand Artisan.
Becky has been a serial entrepreneur, creating her first business, 'Utterly Horses', and growing it to become the largest retailer in its field in Europe.
Having sold that business, she spent some time in corporate, working at the Imperial War Museum. That taught her influential lessons as she returned to the small business world.
Over the years, she has developed her branding and marketing skills to the point where, three years ago, she set up The Branding Artisan. She is passionate about helping small businesses expand and establish their brands and is going from strength to strength.
Becky is also a multi-award-winning entrepreneur; last year's silver award at the BBWA final is just one of many she has collected over her years in business. Not only does she win awards, but she writes entries for clients, too. As if that was not enough, Becky has also published children's books, with more in the pipeline. This episode demonstrates the impact awards have on a business; the crucial part branding plays in business development, and the need to keep learning and creating.
{1:40} The work of The Brand Artisan.
{2:20} Why Becky started the business.
{2:52} Where Becky's business career started.
{5:10} Working at the Imperial War Museum.
{5:50} Developing the idea behind The Branding Artisan.
{7:13} When awards came on the radar.
{8:20} How Becky selects which awards to enter.
Episode 086: The Green Florist with Anna Ball
Wednesday, January 31, 2024 • Duration 19:36
The Green Florist with Anna Ball is the latest edition of the Business Awards Show.
Anna won the Best Green Business Award at the 2023 Best Businesswomen Awards for her green floristry business, Floral Image UK.
Anna worked as a primary school teacher before meeting her husband, and the couple decided to buy the UK license for Floral Image, a global business providing artificial flower arrangements for offices and events.
Since starting the UK company, Anna has led the development of a network of 24 franchisees and a growing corporate customer list. Demand has snowballed. Anna has coined the motto, 'A door on every floor, ' indicating how word of mouth brings new business.
Like many women, Anna has to balance her business needs with her family. In her case, this is even more demanding, given her daughter is disabled. However, she explains her approach and shows that you can create a work/life balance with effort and some clear boundaries.
She tells us about the impact of winning the Best Green Business award last year, how it has brought additional PR for her business, and its effect on her team.
This episode is ideal for anyone considering purchasing a franchise business or starting one. It will also encourage those thinking of entering business awards to go ahead and do it! And there are some great lessons Anna has learnt that could be applied by many entrepreneurs.
{1:31} Why Anna bought the UK license for Floral Image.
{3:03} How designs are produced for customers.
{4:30} The Floral Image client profile.
{5:08} Why buy a franchise rather than start a new business.
{6:17} The Floral Image UK franchise network.
{7:30} Floral Image's global presence.
{7:55} The importance of the product's green credentials.
Episode 085: Fighting Sex-Trafficking with Ruth Robb
Wednesday, January 24, 2024 • Duration 24:48
Fighting sex trafficking with Ruth Robb is the latest episode of the Business Awards Show.
Ruth founded a fantastic charity, Azalea, fifteen years ago, helping women who have been sex-trafficked. Her work led to a Gold Award at the 2023 Best Businesswomen Awards.
Having worked in social care, Ruth became increasingly aware of the horrors of sex trafficking in her local area around Luton. Being easily accessible from Luton airport and Dunstable logistics hubs, Ruth realised her town was increasingly becoming an accessible location to use for bringing oppressed women into the UK.
She has put massive energy and commitment into setting up and growing the Azalea charity, working closely with the police, border force, home office and other vital institutions to provide crucial support.
She and her team work tirelessly to help support these women, often extracting them from their situation and helping them create new lives.
Ruth does not believe charity is all about money. She is passionate about the role of kindness and giving time and support. It is something she talks of regularly as the founder of the charity. And it has created a wider community that offers resources and time to provide the additional support needed to make those trafficked safer and with opportunities to get out.
This is an inspirational episode highlighting the plight of survivors of sex trafficking, the work the charity undertakes, and her plans for the coming year to continue Azalea's progress.
{1:35} What Azalea does.
{2:35} Why Ruth set up Azalea.
{3:24} How Ruth became aware of sex-trafficking.
{4:10} Why Ruth gave the charity the name 'Azalea'.
{4:50} How Azalea identifies women at risk.
{6:15} Celebrating Azalea's fifteenth annivesary.
Episode 084: Scaling Tutor Businesses with Helen Dickman
Tuesday, January 16, 2024 • Duration 31:04
Scaling Tutor Businesses with Helen Dickman is the latest episode of the Business Awards Show.
Helen was a Silver Award Winner in the Best New Business category of the 2023 Best Businesswomen Awards.
Helen studied English at university and, almost inevitably, became a teacher and then an educational consultant. In 2018, she became a private tutor, experiencing the ups and downs of being self-employed in the education sector.
Having developed a clear understanding of what makes a strong tutoring business, Helen set up her own business, Love Mondays Club, in 2021. She aimed to help busy female business owners create profitable online businesses without having to sacrifice all of their time.
Helen has also started the Love Mondays Club podcast to grow her profile, telling us what she covers and why she enjoys this so much.
Helen has started entering awards over the last year and has had some success. She discusses the benefits of completing awards entries and how winning has raised the awareness of her business.
She continues to develop her training platform while planning to travel around Europe before a potential move to Europe.
This episode is perfect for anyone in the early stages of establishing their business. It is a must-listen for any tutor or trainer wanting to grow their client list.
{2:35} Why Helen started Love Mondays Club.
{5:28} Where Love Mondays Club came from.
{8:06} Creating a work/life balance.
{9:03} What LMC provides for tutors and trainers.
{11:56} Why Helen began entering business awards.
{13:39} Why entering awards is such a learning process.
{15:18} The challenges of starting LMC.
{17:28} The inspiration for the podcast.
Episode 083: Going Green with Danielle Seatter
Tuesday, January 9, 2024 • Duration 22:50
Going Green with Danielle Seatter is the latest episode of the Business Awards Show.
Danielle was a Silver Award Winner in the Best Green Business category of the 2023 Best Businesswomen Awards.
Danielle was an early learning teacher, but having left the sector, she decided to start an eco-business, Eco-Able, in 2019. In 2022, she opened her shop in Cirencester, selling a multitude of eco-friendly products, and hasn't looked back. She tells us why she started a green business and how the product range has been diversified to meet her customers' needs. She has published two children's books with an eco-slant and intends to produce more in the coming years. The merchandise from those books also finds its way into the Eco-Able store. Danielle has practical advice for all business owners to help make their businesses more sustainable. She believes in making small, incremental changes, suggesting that everyone reviews their business closely and looks for manageable and sustainable change that can be built on over time. Having won several awards in recent years, Danielle discusses how this has helped her business and why she entered the Best Businesswomen Awards last year. As climate change becomes ever more present in our lives, this episode is a perfect way to start thinking about your business and how you can help create a more sustainable planet.
{1:25} The work of Eco-Able.
{2:42} Danielle's drive to set up a green business.
{4:24} How Danielle stocks her shop.
{5:58} How awards came on the radar.
{7:15} Winning multiple BizBubble awards.
{8:20} Why Danielle entered the Best Businesswomen Awards.
{9:25} How businesses can begin reducing carbon footprint.
{11:43} Danielle's best-selling products.
Danielle as a children's author.
Episode 082: Building loyalty in hospitality with Ashleigh Donald
Tuesday, January 2, 2024 • Duration 29:31
Building loyalty in the hospitality industry is our latest episode of the Business Awards Show.
Ashleigh was voted Best Businesswoman in Marketing and PR at the 2023 Best Businesswomen Awards.
She explains why she and her husband set up their business Halo Business Consulting offering businesses in the hospitality sector the benefit of their twenty years' of experience in marketing, PR, and customer experience in the industry.
Ashleigh explains why the pandemic was such a pivotal moment in hospitality, and how it affected her and her customers. The changes that have emerged have had a huge impact on customer behaviour and the way hospitality businesses interact with their customer base.
She has added awards as an essential strategy in her business. Winning the Gold Award in the BBWA last year has already reaped dividends as Ashleigh explains.
If you have a hospitality business, or indeed any business where building customer loyalty and delivering a great experience is vital, this episode will be of real help. Ashleigh's tips on building loyalty, getting more reviews, and improving delivery at each customer touch-point will help every customer-facing company raise their game.
{1:28} The work of Halo Business Consulting.
{2:53} The challenges and success of the pandemic.
{5:40} Ashleigh's core customer base.
{6:57} Where the name Halo originated from.
{8:50} The changes in the hospitality sector post-Covid.
{10:15} Delivering customer experience in the industry.
{11:36} Bringing together all elements of customer loyalty to build loyalty.
{13:40} Why awards are important to Halo.
{15:10} Collaborating with fellow finalists.
Episode 081: The Joy of Music for Children with Cat Bateman
Wednesday, December 20, 2023 • Duration 43:27
The Joy of Music for Children is the latest release from The Business Awards Show. It features an interview with Cat Bateman, silver award winner at the 2023 Best Businesswomen Awards, and founder of Little Folk Nursery Rhymes Ltd.
Sophie had a passion for music from a young age, so setting up a business twelve years ago bringing mothers and their toddlers together to sing nursery rhymes, seemed like a natural thing to do.
She has built a substantial local community, and many of the the young children she taught in the early years, are now learning musical instruments themselves.
Cat has great tips for small business owners, and shares her drive to ensure other entrepreneurs are supported to grow their businesses.
She has been successful in several major award programmes. Cat tells us why she started entering and what it's done for her business.
Cat had a wonderful experience at this year's Best Businesswomen Awards final, telling us why it meant so much to her and what she has got from it.
Like so many small business owners, she was deeply impacted by the pandemic, The cost of living crisis is not making things any easier. Nevertheless, she tells a story of great resilience and adaptability that has seen her thrive in adversity.
This episode is a Christmas gift from the Business Awards Show. Cat is so full of positivity, and gives so much to children, we thought she was the ideal person to have on the podcast for our Christmas episode.
{1:24} Cat's path to starting a business.
{7:04} The children in Cat's group
{8:20} Teaching traditional nursery rhymes to children.
{11:04} What made Cat enter business awards.
{13:25} Applying for the Small Awards.
{16:49} Losing essential equipment.
{1:40} How Emily came to start Content Clever.
{2:57} Juggling her business with a toddler.
{3:20} Why working with female-led businesses really matters to Emily.
{4:23} Current things to consider regarding SEO.
{5:50} The impact of AI generated content on SEO.
{6:40} More common content mistakes.
{7:52} The importance of repurposing content.
{8:44} The scary world of keyword research.
{10:07} Emily's experience in entering the BBWAs in 2025.
{12:36} The main challenges for a woman running a business in 2026.
{13:51} Networking and growing the client base.
{16:42} How Emily works with clients.
{19:43} Plans for Content Clever's future.
{21:36} Expanding the business by recruiting freelance copywriters.
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