As series 5 of the podcast draws to a close, I couldn't think of a more inspiring woman to chat to this week...

As the Founder of Bridge Models - a Curve agency representing models, influencers and artists internationally - Charlotte Griffiths knows a thing or two about seeing a gap in the market and bridging it by recognising people for their talent, not their size. With offices in both London and New York, it's safe to say that the business has come on leaps and bounds since she launched it aged 25, back in 2014.

From the realities of the early days back where she lived off savings and worked silly hours around the clock, to how she's learnt to add more structure to the team and her diary as the business has scaled; what launching the UK's first men's division  for bigger, broader models in 2016 involved behind the scenes; to why she wants to see the term 'plus size' abolished from our vocabulary; I have a feeling you're going to enjoy this one. This is Charlotte's story so far...

Say hello to our sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

Say hello to this week's ad guest...

Not only have Pleo sponsored this series but they've also handed the mic over to members of She can. She did. so that they can promote their businesses in Pleo's ad space... what legends, we know! This week, you'll hear from our amazing member Tyra, Founder of  Foss Creative Studio - who just so happens to edit this podcast!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

can.did. @meetcandid

Bridge Models @bridgemodels

Pleo @pleo.io

Foss Creative Studio @fosscreativestudio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we start this weeks episode, I am so excited to say that She can. She did. has officially rebranded to can.did. - a new kind of networking for more candid conversations. For more details and to join us in there, visit www.meetcandid.com or come and say hello at @meetcandid

This week, I had the pleasure of chatting to Gemma Whates, the London-based Mum of two, VC Scout, Mentor and Founder of All By Mama - the incredible community and marketplace for mothers in their first few years of business.

From how Gemma organised her time in the early days given that she was working full-time during the first year of All By Mama's existence and what led her to eventually focus on the marketplace full-time, what she's learnt from her multiple investment rounds and what she'd do differently if she were to raise money again in hindsight, how she handles the continuous pressure to up-level, not to mention the Mum guilt that reared its head during the pandemic... Gemma has been so supportive to me personally in recent months and I could not have enjoyed chatting to her more. This is Gemma's story so far!

Say hello to our sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

can.did. @meetcandid

All By Mama @allbymama_network

Pleo @pleo.io

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we start this weeks episode, I am so excited to say that She can. She did. has officially rebranded to can.did. - a new kind of networking for more candid conversations. For more details and to join us in there, visit www.meetcandid.com or come and say hello at @meetcandid

This week I sat down to chat with Sydney Samuels, the 24 year old Founder of Loop not Luck - a diverse talent recruitment platform powered by Artificial Intelligence that helps talented, diverse candidates from low income backgrounds maximise their chances of success by connecting them with employers who want to diversify their early careers talent pool with data-driven recommendations.

Driven by her own experience entering the jobs market, I sat down to chat with Sydney about the personal journey she's been on so far and how she's tackling a systemic problem one baby step at a time.

Her personal bio reads that she's simply "trying to do some good" . Having spoken to her, I can confirm that she mostly definitely is. This is Sydney's story so far...

Say hello to our sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

can.did. @meetcandid

Loop Not Luck @loopnotluck

Pleo @pleo.io

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we start this weeks episode, I am so excited to say that She can. She did. has officially rebranded to can.did. - a new kind of networking for more candid conversations. For more details and to join us in there, visit www.meetcandid.com or come and say hello at @meetcandid

This week I am chatting to Victoria Prew, recent 'Forbes 30 under 30' alumna and Founder of HURR - the platform for fashion rental.

Joining me from HURR's fashion closet (which made for the most glamorous makeshift recording studio yet), Victoria opened up to me about her journey in detail so far. From how she used the cynicism around sustainable fashion back in 2017 to spur her on in the early days and how she held her nerve during the platform's year-long build; to how she's embedded sustainability into every facet of the company and what partnering with Selfridges has involved in reality behind the scenes... I have so much admiration for not just what she's created but how she went about doing so. As the HURR website puts it, she "took an idea and made it a movement." This is Victoria's can.did. story so far...

Say hello to our new sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

can.did. @meetcandid

HURR @hurr

Pleo @pleo.io

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we start this weeks episode, I am so excited to say that She can. She did. has officially rebranded to can.did. - a new kind of networking for more candid conversations. For more details and to join us in there, visit www.meetcandid.com or come and say hello at @meetcandid

TW// We talk about suicide in this week's episode.

This week I spoke to a woman whose mission, tenacity and courage inspires me no end. Esther Marshall is the Founder of Sophie Says - an award-winning children's book series that is changing the face of children's literature by featuring diverse characters and combatting stereotypes one page at a time.

Having spent 8 years at Unilever in which her last two years there were spent heading up their Global Diversity & Inclusion team, it wasn't until Esther went on maternity leave and found herself surrounded by children's books that only served to reinforce damaging gender and racial stereotypes, that the idea for Sophie Says was born.

As I'm sure you'll soon hear, today's episode isn't just a story about how Esther launched, ran and grew the Sophie Says series into what it is today (that of a book series endorsed by everyone from Frankie Bridge and Fearne McCann to none other than Prince Harry and Megan Markle!)

It's also a story about bravery, resilience and learning to cope with grief and acts as a poignant reminder to us all, that it's always, always ok not to be ok. This is Esther's story so far...

Say hello to our new sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

Say hello to this week's ad guest...

Not only have Pleo sponsored this series but they've also handed the mic over to members of She can. She did. so that they can promote their businesses in Pleo's ad space... what legends, we know! This week, you'll hear from our amazing member Tyra, Founder of  Foss Creative Studio - who just so happens to edit this podcast!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

can.did. @meetcandid

Sophie Says @sophiesaysofficial

Pleo @pleo.io

Foss Creative Studio @fosscreativestudio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I was introduced to this week's guest by the incredible Gemma Harling who features on the last series of this podcast and knew straight away that if Gemma's saying that today's guest is one to watch, I had to get her on to this podcast to find out more about her story. The woman in question is Latticia Morapedi, the Birmingham-based Founder of Latticia Organics, organic skincare and lifestyle products that were inspired by her own skin troubles and an understanding that there had to be another way to care for her skin without relying on products populated with synthetics. 

From the early days where she handed out samples to her friends at her own baby shower and how she's grown the brand sustainably ever since, to how she held her nerve for two years when she took time out to rebrand properly and the various challenges that she encountered behind the scenes, she was a complete joy to chat to, I'm in awe of her resilience... This is Latticia's story so far.

Say hello to our new sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

Say hello to this week's ad guest...

Not only have Pleo sponsored this series but they've also handed the mic over to members of She can. She did. so that they can promote their businesses in Pleo's ad space... what legends, we know! This week, you'll hear from our amazing member Danielle, Founder of  Team Hen - hen party accessories for the modern bride.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Latticia Organics @latticiaorganics

Pleo @pleo.io

Team Hen @teamhen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's safe to say that this podcast wouldn't be what it is today without the help and support of today's guest.

Her name is Maddy Russell and she's the Founder of Paiv Creative - a design company specialising in brand identity, print and digital design that helps to build brands that have a 'because.'

Maddy reached out to me on New Years Day 2018. I was four months into She can. She did. She was a third year graphic design student. We chatted, I saw her portfolio and we've worked together ever since.

She's quite simply one of the most talented, supportive and kind women I know. She's been AMAZING doing the rebrand of this business (which by the way is coming your way in exactly 7 days time) and I can't wait for you to hear her story. Enjoy!

Say hello to our new sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

Say hello to this week's ad guest...

Not only have Pleo sponsored this series but they've also handed the mic over to members of She can. She did. so that they can promote their businesses in Pleo's ad space... what legends, we know! This week, you'll hear from our amazing member Natalia Talkowska, Founder of Natalka Design - a global team of digital visual storytellers that help bring your stories to life.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Paiv Creative @paivcreative

Pleo @pleo.io

Natalka Design @natalkadesign

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TW // We speak about suicide in this week's episode.

This week I am chatting to a woman who I was first introduced to on a panel that I'd been asked to moderate at a Women's Leadership conference hosted in London back in 2019... when big conferences with lots of people were a thing! She happened to be speaking on the panel, we met, realised that we had a mutual friend in common and I have been in awe of her work and her story ever since. The lady in question is Amber Cowburn, a multi award-winning mental health awareness advisor and trainer who, after nearly a decade working as a strategy manager, policy manager, campaigner, public speaker, and trainer in mental health and wellbeing, founded her own company Working Well (SW) Ltd in 2019.

Having been honoured with national accolades including We Are The City 'Rising Star' Entrepeneur award (2020), the Diana Award (2019), the Prime Minister's point of light award (2018), and a Rotary National Community Champion Award (2019), Amber is also a proud founding trustee of the Invictus Trust charity that her and her family set up in early 2011 in memory of her older brother Ben who sadly took his own life in late 2010.

From how she navigated the stigma attached to mental health in the early years given that the national conversation around mental health didn't really open up until 2016, 2017 ish; the uncomfortable journey she's been on when it comes to putting a price on her services and what she'd do differently with certain contracts in hindsight; to how she went about marketing Working Well and securing corporate clients without the help of the usual suspects like Instagram; not to mention, the lessons the past 12 months have taught her about both business and life of course; I have so much respect for Amber and think we can all learn so much from her story.

With that said, I hope you enjoy it!

Say hello to our new sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

Say hello to this week's ad guest...

Not only have Pleo sponsored this series but they've also handed the mic over to members of She can. She did. so that they can promote their businesses in Pleo's ad space... what legends, we know! This week, you'll hear from our amazing member Danni, Founder of Greene Creatives - affordable and accessible marketing services for creative business owners ready to level up.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Amber Cowburn @amber_rosee

Pleo @pleo.io

Greene Creatives @greenecreatives

PS. Given that this was recorded in lockdown, there's a few wifi issues where we ran into a few technical hiccups (!) so please do take those with a pinch of salt when they crop up!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oh my goodness did I enjoy this week's chat!

Having launched Spectrum back in 2014 from their garage in Barry, South Wales, Sophie and Hannah have gone on to grow the business into a globally recognised brand that has partnered with the likes of Disney and Paramount Pictures (to name but a few) and is stored in hundreds of stores worldwide...

(Use the code SHECAN20 for 20% off all Spectrum products if you're interested in seeing what all the fuss is about! This offer expires on Tuesday 13th April!)

Given that they were once told that in order to be successful, they must move to London, I caught up with Sophie and Hannah at the end of last year to find out all the nitty gritty details they've pushed through behind the scenes to build what is now a multi-million pound company!

Covering everything from how they dealt with a warehouse fire that destroyed thousands of pounds worth of stock; their advice for how to scale sustainably and why Wales will always be Spectrum's home. Not to mention, how they held their nerve when people doubted their ability to scale, what their first year of sales looked like (I'm so grateful for their honesty here!) and how Covid impacted the business... I loved, loved, loved recording this one, I have so much respect for them both so I really do hope you enjoy it. This is Sophie and Hannah's story so far!

Say hello to our new sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams that has revolutionised the business expenses game) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

Say hello to this week's ad guest...

Not only have Pleo sponsored this series but they've also handed the mic over to members of She can. She did. so that they can promote their businesses in Pleo's ad space... what legends, we know! This week, you'll hear from our amazing member Mako, Founder of Berry & Brie - London's creative grazing co, that'll always brie around!

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Spectrum Collections @spectrumcollections

Hannah Pycroft @spectrumhannah

Sophie Pycroft @spectrumsophie

Pleo @pleo.io

Berry & Brie @berryandbrie

PS. Given that this was recorded in lockdown, there's a few wifi issues where we ran into a few technical hiccups (!) so please do take those with a pinch of salt when they crop up!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a three month hiatus, we are back with series 5 of the podcast!

Not only do we have a brand new sponsor this series (hello Pleo!), we also have a pretty special line up of guests over the next few weeks so brace yourselves because there are some incredible stories coming your way!

I had to start series 5 with today's guest because quite simply, she's a force to be reckoned with. Her name is Seyi Akiwowo and she's the Founder of Glitch or as she goes on to say in this episode, her "oops baby" - a UK based charity recognised internationally for working to make the online space safe for all... who just so happens to be our charity partner too!

Recorded back in November - a giant thank you to Seyi for her patience getting this one out - we sat down to chat about everything from the series of events at the hands of both trolls and social media platforms that led Seyi to get Glitch off the ground; how she went about growing a team and learning to lead from a place of love instead of fear; the relationship she's been on with money over the years and why she sees her old debt as a battle scar. Not to mention the power of tuning in to watch Neighbours at lunchtime, and why she's determined to ensure that Glitch is trauma informed but not trauma led...

If you haven't checked Glitch out, I couldn't recommend their work more. This is Seyi's story so far!

Say hello to our new sponsor, Pleo...

The She can. She did. podcast is hosted by Fiona Grayson (that's me, hello!) and this series is sponsored by the incredible team at Pleo (aka. the multi-award winning business spending solution built for forward-thinking teams) who are offering all She can. She did. listeners your first 3 months free! Whether you're a solo Founder with a team of freelancers or have a team of 2 or 200, head to pleo.io and quote the She can. She did. podcast when prompted to see what all the fuss is about! Their team are on standby to set you up with the offer now - I'm pretty confident that you're going to love them! Enjoy!

Say hello to this week's ad guest...

Not only have Pleo sponsored this series but they've also handed the mic over to members of She can. She did. so that they can promote their businesses in Pleo's ad space... what legends, we know! This week, you'll hear from our amazing member Lauren, Founder of Pilates East - the home of pilates in Norwich, Norfolk and beyond.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek...

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Glitch @glitchuk_

Pleo @pleo.io

Pilates East @pilateseast

PS. Given that this was recorded in lockdown, there's a few wifi issues where we ran into a few technical hiccups (!) so please do take those with a pinch of salt when they crop up!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're thinking about launching your own fashion label and/or any creative product-based business for that matter, this interview with Sarah Birchall, Founder of Cub & Pudding is well worth a listen.

Having spent ten years working as a PA for the Head of a bank in the City, a chance encounter with a life coach forced Sarah to revaluate her career and work out what truly brought her joy... As a Mum who took great pleasure in dressing her children, not before long, the idea for Cub & Pudding was born - quirky, gender neutral kids wear that defies seasonal trends and can be worn all year round. Genius.

We chat about everything from how she transitioned from her full time role as a PA in the City and made the most of the blank canvas that came hand-in-hand with working on the business full time. The reality of how she funded Cub & Pudding in the early days given that sourcing materials, minimum orders and factory visits all add up as well as the steps she took to ensure that her items are ethically made. Plus of course, the impact Covid and the increased time spent online had on Cub & Pudding, why she actively chooses to invest in those that will hold her to account and how she got over her fear of selling.... There are so many pearls of wisdom in this one. This is Sarah's honest story so far... Enjoy!

PS. She can. She did. has just launched the UK's first Benefits Programme for all female business owners in the UK! Join 100s of other female founders and self-employed womxn and start rewarding your resilience today! Join now to get free Vala health cover: www.shecandid.com 

She can. She did. Resilience, rewarded.

The good old social handles should you fancy a further peek!

She can. She did. @shecanshedid

Cub & Pudding @cubandpudding

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.