Women's Business – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode Lauren shares her journey from her early memories of seeing a strong work ethic in her parents, to founding UPFRONT, a business several years in the making. With her background in service design at the forefront of everything she does, Lauren has great insight on asking for feedback, and the power of using that feedback - both good and bad, to shape your business. Plus, we discuss finding confidence, how it can be learnt, and her mission to teach it through her Bond programme, with tips for listeners on unlearning societal expectations to boost their own confidence too. I think this could actually be a life-changing episode for so many people, and it's one I'll definitely revisit.    00:00 Introduction  01:04 Guest Introduction: Lauren Currie OBE 02:07 Early Memories and Work Ethic 05:29 School and Career Aspirations 07:09 Journey into Product and Service Design 14:24 Building the First Business: Service Design Consultancy 17:31 Transition to Employment and Upfront's Inception 22:18 The Evolution of Upfront 31:34 Discovering Natural Confidence 32:04 Confidence in Different Areas of Life 33:07 Building Confidence Through Community 35:01 Balancing Business and Motherhood 35:22 The Guilt of Motherhood 38:43 Pregnant Then Screwed: Advocacy and Activism 43:04 Challenges of Early Success 48:50 The Importance of Self-Compassion 54:40 Final Reflections and Advice   Bond 8 launches on the 9th September. Find out more here.   Find Lauren on Instagram here.    Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here.    And find out more about The Wilder Collective and apply here.   

Finishing the current run of episodes with an absolute bang, Kira Matthews brings her unique perspective to Women's Business to set you up for summer. Not asking for the opportunities you want because of your audience size? Kira will make you think again about simply asking for what you want, asking again, embracing the rejection that may come - and separating that from yourself. She is the perfect example of someone practising what she preaches too, with stories of her own experiences that she shares, alongside her particular ideas on manifesting, what it is and how she does it, and how that can challenge the world view that is generally created for us. 

All of this from a Gen Z with a whole load of wisdom - something that I am really passionate about my generation tapping into. One to listen to more than once to soak it all in - and then take action! 

Find Kira on Instagram here 

Find links to all of Kira's other 'stuff' here

Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here. 

Women's Business will return in September. To pitch to be on the podcast or enquire about sponsorship head to the forms at the bottom of the page here.

How do you know when it's time to let your business go? Faced with comparison-itis online, alongside running a family, Emmy shares really openly here about her journey to doing just that. 

This episode takes in the full story, from the ego she was born with, to wanting to be famous, to channelling some of that into her clothing brand Sunday & Soul, to coming to the realisation that it was time to move on from it, and both the grief, and the feeling of freedom that came with that. 

Emmy's story echoes so much of my own, whilst being completely unique to her, and I think there will be so much to relate to in this story which is told with heart and honesty, and a few tears too! 

Ayesha Ofori started her career in investment banking, with a simple view to paying off her student debt, but after advancing quickly and managing a portfolio of $500m, she realised the work didn't align with her values, and turned her hand to helping others build their wealth through property investment as she had, founding Black Property Network, followed swiftly by Propelle - a community, education and investment platform for women. 

Ayesha's insight on peeling back the curtain on investing and making it accessible for women is both fascinating to listen to, and highly informative, but she also talks with great honesty about how she balances work and home life too. So many highlights in this episode which I hope you'll love! 

Find Ayesha on Instagram here

Find Propelle on Instagram here

Join the waitlist for Propelle here 

Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here

Or subscribe to my Substack here 
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Thank you so much to Wild for sponsoring this episode - check out my 30% off discount code and try it for yourself.  Wild is the only deodorant brand I use and it really works, so they are my dream partners.  Wild is the UK’s number 1 natural deodorant company featuring a fully sustainable design and recyclable refills. They’ve also recently launched a luxe 100% plastic free body wash which I love – it comes in an aluminium case with compostable refills.  Use code BUSINESS30 for 30% off sitewide. Shop Wild now!

This episode comes with a trigger warning for baby loss, which enters the conversation at 13 minutes in. 

Sarah Tobin started her career in advertising before a traumatic birth and the subsequent death of her daughter left her with PTSD, a physical pain in her chest every day, and a choice - to either give into the pain, or to move forward, choose happiness, and start healing. Sarah chose the latter, and this is her incredible story of resilience and the power of the technique she used then and still uses now to process the trauma she experienced - tapping, which is also known as Emotional Freedom Technique.

It's a technique I've had in my wellbeing toolkit for many years, so talking to Sarah - who re-trained as an EFT practitioner after it transformed her life - was a really personal experience for me, and I wanted her to share just how brilliant and accessible tapping is for anyone who suffers with anxiety and trauma.

We talk about starting out with EFT if you're new to it, the science behind it, and Sarah's journey that led her to that pivot, which has ultimately brought her to a place where she helps other mums (and their families) navigate difficult times. 

In spite of Sarah's heartbreaking loss this is actually an incredibly positive and inspiring story of what Sarah has done to turn her daughter Alice's legacy into a positive one, that goes on. 

Find Sarah on Instagram here 

Find Sarah's website here 

Find Sarah on YouTube here 

Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here 

Or subscribe to my Substack here 

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Thank you so much to Wild for sponsoring this episode - check out my 30% off discount code and try it for yourself.  Wild is the only deodorant brand I use and it really works, so they are my dream partners.  Wild is the UK’s number 1 natural deodorant company featuring a fully sustainable design and recyclable refills. They’ve also recently launched a luxe 100% plastic free body wash which I love – it comes in an aluminium case with compostable refills.  Use code WOMENSBUSINESS for 30% off sitewide. Shop Wild now!

In this episode, former Editor-In-Chief of Hello! Magazine Rosie Nixon, talks about her early love of magazines and how that laid the foundations for what she went onto do, tells me about her favourite scoops at the helm of Hello! but then offers total honesty on what happened as she approached burn out. The changes Rosie made as a result of that phase have set her up for this new chapter, enjoying a portfolio career to broaden her horizons, lower the stakes, and create more time for her family. 

She also tells me about the lightbulb moment she experienced when she realised she was in the depths of peri-menopause, the signs and symptoms, and how she advocated for herself to get the necessary treatment, and tips on how others can do the same. 

Find Rosie on Instagram here.

Check out Rosie's website here. 

Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here. 

You can subscribe to my Substack here. 

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Thank you so much to Wild for sponsoring this episode - check out my 30% off discount code and try it for yourself.  Wild is the only deodorant brand I use and it really works, so they are my dream partners.  Wild is the UK’s number 1 natural deodorant company featuring a fully sustainable design and recyclable refills. They’ve also recently launched a luxe 100% plastic free body wash which I love – it comes in an aluminium case with compostable refills.  Use code WOMENSBUSINESS for 30% off sitewide. Shop Wild now!

In this second birthday episode, host of Woman's Hour Emma Barnett turns the mic on ME - Nicky Elliott - to hear my own career story. 

This conversation covers:

• My early memories of work
• How I stumbled into events
• How I founded my first business
• The mat leave project that became Wilder Ones
• How I feel about being a 'provider'
• My pivot into podcasting and empowering women
• My plans for the future

Will total openness from the get-go on my financial losses and gains, lessons learnt, and my new mission, this episode is for anyone who has listened to the pod so far and has wanted to hear my own story - with some friendly banter between me and my long-time friend Emma in the mix. 

Find Emma on Instagram here. 

Don't forget to join the conversation on Instagram here. 

You can subscribe to my deeper dive essays on all we discuss on my Substack here. 

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Thank you so much to Wild for sponsoring this episode - it's the only deodorant brand I use and it really works, so they are my dream partners. 
Wild is the UK’s number 1 natural deodorant company featuring a fully sustainable design and recyclable refills. 
They’ve also recently launched a luxe 100% plastic free body wash which I love – it comes in an aluminium case with compostable refills.
 Use code WOMENSBUSINESS for 30% off sitewide. Go wild!

In this special episode to celebrate ONE YEAR of Women’s Business I’ve invited back my first ever guest – the one and only Frankie Tortora – to do a review of the year with me, pulling out some themes that have come up, got us all thinking, and sparked brilliant discussions.  

Frankie acts as both host and guest, picking the topics (out of her sparkly unicorn hat!) and discussing them all with me, sharing her personal experiences and stories, while I share my insight and highlights from the last 30 episodes of the podcast – what I’ve learnt, what I’ve loved, and what’s really stayed with me.

Topics covered include:

• Mental Load
• Career Trauma 
• Careers Advice 
• Multi-Hyphen Careers
• Measures of Success

A massive THANK YOU if you’ve listened to any episode this year. Year two here we go!

Find Frankie and everything to do with her work, her community, and her brilliant podcast for freelance parents here. 

Don’t forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here.

You can subscribe to my Substack for deep dive essays on some of our discussions here.

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Thank you so much to Wild for sponsoring this episode - it's the only deodorant brand I use and it really works, so they are my dream partners. 

Wild is the UK’s number 1 natural deodorant company featuring a fully sustainable design and recyclable refills. 

They’ve also recently launched a luxe 100% plastic free body wash which I love – it comes in an aluminium case with compostable refills.

 Use code WOMENSBUSINESS for 30% off sitewide. Go wild!

From whirlwind romances and moving across the world to starting her own coaching business and networking group - Laura Cruise has had a fascinating journey and it has left her filled with wisdom and perspective that everyone will learn something from. 

This episode covers so much, including: 

• Why supporting other women can only lead to good things
• Acknowledging when something isn't serving you any more 
• Tangible advice on how to work on an idea to get real confidence in it 
• Allowing things to take time 
• The problem with niching too soon 

And so much more besides. Laura and I had a fantastic chat which really stayed with me. I know there will be value in here for you.

Find Laura's website here

Find Laura on Instagram here

Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here

To find out more about my public speaking work and events head here 

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Thank you so much to Wild for sponsoring this episode - it's the only deodorant brand I use and it really works, so they are my dream partners. 

Wild is the UK’s number 1 natural deodorant company featuring a fully sustainable design and recyclable refills. 

They’ve also recently launched a luxe 100% plastic free body wash which I love – it comes in an aluminium case with compostable refills.

 Use code WOMENSBUSINESS for 30% off sitewide. Go wild!

 

 

In this episode, founder, marketeer, mum, and content creator Lorna Hayward takes me on her career journey that takes in everything from starting out in TV, to moving into marketing, to starting her own series of sell-out 'Pizzup' events almost by accident, but we also go deeper, delving into the recent events that led her to realise that she attaches so much of her self-worth to work. 

In the course of this discussion we tried to unpack some of the societal pressures that lead so many women to feel that way too, whilst also covering how we can try to un-attach our self-worth from work, whilst still finding meaning in purpose in what we do for a living. 

Find Lorna on Instagram here

Find out more about Lorna's inclusive events for women - Pizzup - here 

Don't forget to join the conversation on all things life and careers with me on Instagram here 

Or to find out more about me, my work and the podcast, head to my website here