Mum Means Business

Episoade

• 
  68: Astrology With Knobs On; Human Design for Financially Ambitious Women with Emily Armitage 18.08.2026 1h

  Emily Armitage is a business and identity strategist who uses human design to help financially ambitious women build businesses that work with their energy and in their season of life. In this episode, she unpacks what human design actually is, how it differs from other personality frameworks and why it has become such a powerful tool for helping women cut through the noise of advice that was never designed for someone in their particular season of life. She also speaks with remarkable honesty about her own journey through early motherhood, an autism and OCD diagnosis and the deeply personal reason financial independence sits at the heart of everything she does. A rich, fascinating and genuinely illuminating conversation about self-discovery, visibility and building a business that finally fits who you are.
• 
  67: SEO, GEO and Why I Asked Claude to Fix My Invisible Website 14.08.2026 12min

  In this solo episode I share what happened when a last minute photography inquiry through Google Maps sent me down a long overdue rabbit hole into the visibility of my own website. Spoiler: it was essentially invisible. From a nostalgic look back at the early days of blogging and SEO to a crash course in GEO - Generative Engine Optimization - and a surprisingly productive late night conversation with Claude, this is the honest, unglamorous account of a solopreneur trying to get her head around a fast-moving topic during the summer holidays. If your website has been quietly gathering dust while you pour all your energy into social media, this one might just be the nudge you need.
• 
  66: F*** Mum Guilt; Leila Green on Breaking Up with the Inner Critic for Good 11.08.2026 50min

  Leila Green is the founder of the F*** Mum Guilt movement, mother of triplets and one of the UK’s Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs and she is on a mission to take mum guilt seriously. In this episode, she shares her remarkable journey from six-figure solo founder to navigating two miscarriages and a triplet pregnancy and explains why the casual way we talk about mum guilt is masking a genuine maternal mental health crisis. With 95% of mothers experiencing it and one in four avoiding leaving the house for fear of judgement, this is not something to laugh off over coffee. A conversation about compassion over comparison, drowning out the noise and finally trusting yourself as both a mother and a woman in business.
• 
  65: The One Where We Had 9 Months to Raise £450k 07.08.2026 19min

  In 2018, with no fundraising experience, no budget and an entry deadline just weeks away, I sent an email to the RHS proposing a commemorative show garden at Chelsea to celebrate the Normandy veterans of the Second World War. What followed was nine months of relentless fundraising, unexpected allies, a 75 Reasons campaign I am still proud of and a garden that somehow came to life against all the odds. In this solo episode I share the full story of the D-Day 75 garden - from the first wild idea to the moment on the final day of Chelsea when I realised we had actually done it and the single most important lesson the whole experience taught me. The trick is to ask.
• 
  64: Making Dark Chocolate Fun; Positive Psychology and Trusting Your Instincts with Ella McKay 04.08.2026 1h 2min

  Ella McKay is the co-founder of FATSO, a premium dark chocolate brand born from a lockdown conversation about why dark chocolate had become so boring and built in just three years into a product stocked by retailers around the world. In this episode, she shares the story of going from corporate marketing to full-time founder, the values-led decision to partner with a purpose-driven Colombian chocolate grower and the role that positive psychology and maternal instinct have played in shaping both her business and her approach to motherhood. A warm, energising conversation about trusting yourself, following what lights you up and why letting go of the shoulds might just be the best business decision you ever make.
• 
  63: Van Life with Little People; the Unglamorous Reality of Working and Travelling with Kids 31.07.2026 9min

  In this solo episode, recorded from a converted VW Crafter somewhere in northern France, I’m pulling back the curtain on the unglamorous reality of van life with two small children. From a £50k build that definitely wasn’t budgeted for to a penguin potty making a comeback and a business that has largely had to fend for itself, this is the honest version of what working and travelling with little people actually looks like. It is also a love letter to the chaos — the memories being made, the rituals bedding in and the particular magic of seeing France through the eyes of two small girls who are simply happy that everyone is together. A reminder that sometimes the content can wait, the emails can wait and the moments you are making right now are the ones that matter most.
• 
  62: Emma Bardwell on Mum Guilt vs. Role-Modelling and Building a Business in a Man's World 28.07.2026 48min

  Emma Bardwell left a career in recruitment in 2015 with two small daughters and a desire for flexibility, and built what is now a multi-location recruitment business specialising in security and facilities management, including a 24-hour operations centre in India. In this episode, she speaks with refreshing honesty about the realities of those early years: three phones, Christmas Day shift-filling and the particular kind of mum guilt that comes from being physically present but mentally elsewhere. She also reflects on what her daughters, now 17 and 19, actually remember and it turns out they don’t remember her being absent, they remember her being busy and chasing her dreams. A conversation about role-modelling, backing yourself in rooms full of men and what a decade of building something from nothing really looks like.
• 
  61: The Podcast Turns One; Lessons, Downloads and a Glass of Wine in Brittany 24.07.2026 12min

  The Mum Means Business podcast has turned one and I am marking the occasion from a bench on the shoreline of Brittany with a glass of wine and a slice of chocolate gateau. In this solo episode I share the three biggest lessons the past year of podcasting has taught me - taking action when you feel stuck, the power of finding your people and why things simply take time. I also share my download stats openly, because I could not find enough of this kind of transparency when I was starting out and I want to be that resource for someone else. From 1000 downloads at four months to nearly 5000 at the one year mark, this is the honest, unfiltered version of what year one of building something from nothing actually looks like. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been along for the ride.
• 
  60: Stop Calling It a Side Hustle and Start Building a Real Business with Beth Heyer 21.07.2026 1h 3min

  Beth Heyer launched Babysitting Connection from her kitchen table in Texas six weeks before COVID hit and rather than folding, she scaled to over 700 families across six locations and was named Austin Businesswoman Employer of the Year by 2022. In this episode, she shares the story of going all in from day one as a single mum, the power of delegating early and the membership model that gave her predictable recurring revenue without hustling her kids’ lives away. From validating your business idea with real customers before touching your branding to building an abundance mindset that embraces rather than fears competition, Beth’s energy and conviction are impossible not to catch. A conversation for every woman who is ready to stop calling it a side hustle and start treating her business like the real thing it is.
• 
  59: Sliding into the Summer Holidays as a Business-Building Mum 17.07.2026 15min

  In this solo episode, recorded on the first day of the summer holidays, I’m getting real about what this season actually looks like when you are a mother with a business to run. From a van packed for France to a course that needs re-recording and a boundary I already broke before the holidays even started, this is the unfiltered version. I share what I will and won’t be doing over the summer, what the Meta ads wobble taught me about paying attention, and the one promise I am making to my daughter for August. If you are sliding into the summer holidays feeling underprepared, a little guilty and nowhere near ready to switch off, this episode is for you and you are very much not alone.
• 
  58: Why Wanting More Money Doesn't Make You a Bad Mum with Claire Hill 14.07.2026 1h 12min

  Claire Hill is the Queen of Self-Belief and founder of the Bank programme, and she is on a mission to help women stop leaking money, energy and power so their income can finally match how brilliant they are. In this episode, she shares her remarkable journey from a childhood shaped by loss and financial hardship through six business ventures to the coaching practice she was always meant to build and unpacks why wanting more money does not make you a bad mum, a selfish person or any of the other things we have been quietly conditioned to believe. From the pasta theory of money as energy to the concept of honey money and warrior energy, this is a rich, confronting and deeply liberating conversation for any mother in business who is ready to create a little space and let abundance in.
• 
  57: Behind the Rebrand; Threads, Squiggles and Letting Go of Perfectionism 10.07.2026 12min

  In this solo episode I’m pulling back the curtain on the rebrand of the Mum Means Business podcast and my photography business and sharing what the process taught me about confidence, perfectionism and finally trusting myself enough to launch before everything is perfect. Working with graphic designer Liz Mosley of Building Your Brand, I discovered a concept that changed the way I see everything I do: threads. Motherhood, business, family, freedom, flexibility, community, connection and impact — all running through every strand of my work. This episode is as much about the slow, quiet rebuild of confidence after early motherhood as it is about squiggles and colour palettes, and I hope it resonates with any mother in business who has ever waited to feel ready before sharing what she has built.
• 
  56: From Survival Mode to Scaling Your Business with Ease with Michelle Newman 07.07.2026 1h

  Michelle Newman is the founder of Flow, a digital operations consultancy helping entrepreneurs scale with ease, and her own journey to get there is anything but straightforward. In this episode, she shares how divorce, sepsis and the slow realisation that she had accidentally built a business she didn’t enjoy became the catalysts for a complete rebuild - one rooted in intention, self-care and a genuine sense of belonging. From the transformative power of breathwork to the simple but game-changing practice of the ta-da list, Michelle offers both hard-won wisdom and practical tools for any mother in business who is ready to move from survival mode to scaling with ease. A conversation about grace, micro movements and giving yourself far more credit than you probably do.
• 
  55. Why Consistency Alone Is Not Enough and What I'm Doing Instead 03.07.2026 20min

  In this honest solo episode, I unpack one of the most repeated pieces of advice in the online business world - be consistent - and why it stopped serving me. After posting on Instagram every single day for 14 months while navigating two babies under two, I ended up with 600 followers and a lot of cringe-worthy content. Now, on the other side of 50 podcast episodes, I’m sharing why I’m shifting from consistency at all costs to a marketing approach that aligns with my actual energy and capacity. This is a conversation about quality over quantity, the power of the pause and giving yourself permission to stop doing something just because you have always been told you should.
• 
  54: Burnout, Boundaries and the Healing Power of Gardening with Kendall Marie Platt 30.06.2026 1h 4min

  Kendall Marie Platt is a horticultural therapist and founder of Adventures with Flowers, supporting women to create garden sanctuaries that restore the nervous system and provide a genuine alternative to the burnout culture so many mothers are navigating. In this episode, she shares her own journey from running on empty to building a business rooted in nature, rhythm and daily joy and makes a compelling case for why getting your hands in the soil is not a hobby but a form of self-preservation. From breaking the link between self-worth and productivity to the quietly radical idea that we don’t need permission or a qualification before we begin, this is a warm, grounding and deeply restorative conversation for any mother who is overdue a moment to breathe.
• 
  53: My First Atomicon; Lessons in Focus, Fear and Showing Up 26.06.2026 23min

  In this solo episode I’m sharing everything about my first ever Atomicon - the UK’s largest sales and marketing conference for small businesses. From the logistical juggle of sports day versus conference tickets to the moment I waited 45 minutes in a queue, nearly lost my nerve and then asked Amelia Sordell to come on this podcast anyway (she said yes), it was a day full of lessons in focus, connection and showing up even when it feels uncomfortable. If you have ever wondered whether Atomicon is worth it, or whether events like this have a place in the life of a busy mum in business, this episode is for you.
• 
  52: From Feeling Stuck to Dreaming Big with Caroline Britton 23.06.2026 55min

  Caroline Britton is an intuitive coach, author and self-described magic maker who has spent four years transforming thousands of lives since leaving a 14-year career in global consultancy. In this episode, she shares her own journey from feeling stuck to living with genuine purpose and fulfilment, and unpacks the identity and belief barriers that keep so many women playing small. From the power of stillness to the practice of writing letters from fear and from love, Caroline offers both a profound perspective and practical tools for anyone ready to reconnect with their dreams. A conversation about authenticity, emotional intelligence and the quietly radical act of giving yourself permission to come home to who you truly are.
• 
  51: Taking Up Space and Why It Feels So Uncomfortable 19.06.2026 8min

  In the first solo episode of Mum Means Business, I take up space on my own podcast for the very first time. No guest, no script, just an honest reflection on why it has taken me so long to talk about my own work on a podcast built to celebrate other women, and what finally shifted to bring this new weekly format to life. From the internalised belief that women should dim themselves rather than take up space, to the comfort I’ve found in the solidarity of other mothers navigating the same identity shifts, this episode is a candid look behind the curtain. Each Friday from here, I’ll be sharing short, unfiltered reflections on the rollercoaster of building a business alongside motherhood, because the more we normalise the mess behind the scenes, the less alone we all feel.
• 
  50: Turning the Tables; Victoria Phipps on the Messy Middle of Motherhood and Business 16.06.2026 1h 9min

  For 49 episodes Victoria Phipps has been asking the questions. For episode 50, her oldest friend and fellow journalist Sarah Garrod turns the tables. In this milestone conversation, Victoria shares her own story for the first time: from co-founding the D-Day Revisited charity to building a photography business across the analogue and digital ages, and the honest, messy reality of navigating entrepreneurship alongside early motherhood. It is a conversation about transferable skills, creative identity, the courage to take up space and what it really looks like to be in the messy middle of building a business and a life you love. A fitting celebration of 50 episodes and a heartfelt reminder that the host of this podcast is right there in it alongside you.
• 
  49: Bath Time, Business and the Courage to Back Yourself with Christina Townsend 09.06.2026 1h 1min

  Christina Townsend is the founder of Spout, an award-winning bath play system born from one mum’s determination to make the dinner, bath and bed routine feel calmer and less cluttered. A former early years teacher and solo parent of three, Christina is navigating the start up journey alongside a full-time job, learning as she goes what it truly takes to back yourself before the world has even seen what you are building. From overcoming imposter syndrome to learning the language of investment, this is an honest and deeply encouraging conversation about early stage entrepreneurship, the power of finding your tribe and the quiet but transformative decision to claim the word entrepreneur before you feel ready.