Conversations of Inspiration

Are you ready to ditch your self doubt, in just 10 minutes?

During Holly’s unforgettable conversation with the iconic Emma Bridgewater, they spoke in depth about the power of visualising your dreams, so much so that they become a reality – which sparked a real lightbulb moment for Holly.

Holly realised that so many of us, especially women, are limited by our aspirations, and only by believing in them with all your heart, will you achieve them. And so, in this episode Holly shares her secret to overcoming the business barriers you feel most insecure about and explains why women don’t need to be experts when it comes to business – they just need to have one key ingredient to really make it. 

Sharing her own story, which started around the kitchen table, Emma explains why being able to imagine your dream is almost like a ‘magic carpet’ – once you’re able to do it, you will fly.

So is there something that really holds you back? Something that limits your confidence? Keep that in mind, and see if you feel the same after listening…

You can hear Emma Bridgewater’s full episode here. 

Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? Subscribe to Holly’s weekly newsletters on our website, where she shares small business inspiration of all kinds, exclusive nuggets of wisdom from her and her guests, plus offers, creative ideas, and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

Imagine if… creativity was as important as literacy, maths or science? What could we, as a species, be capable of achieving if we prioritised it and gave it the right conditions to flourish?

These are questions posed by the late great Sir Ken Robinson. His daughter and closest collaborator Kate Robinson now continues his work which she describes as being a ‘love letter to human potential’ and Holly was lucky enough to meet with her recently. 

In this interview, Kate shares her wisdom on how we should be raising the next generation when it comes to their education and allowing them to find the ‘element’ that they love most – a phrase that Holly likens to ‘finding their diamond’. 

Kate delves into her own experiences and struggles with the constraints of the education system, and explains how we should be communicating with our young, why university is not the only option to achieve a successful career, and also how the education system is quite literally killing the young people of today. 

Is there hope for change? You’ll have to listen to find out…

If you enjoyed this conversation, you might also enjoy Holly’s episode with 
Becky Sheraidah, founder of ARTHOUSE Unlimited.

This Conversations of Inspiration podcast episode is brought to you with support from Adobe Express.

Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? Subscribe to Holly’s weekly newsletters on our website, where she shares small business inspiration of all kinds, exclusive nuggets of wisdom from her and her guests, plus offers, creative ideas and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice. 

As we fall into our career paths and adult life, it can be so easy to assume that we’re just not creative… but what if Holly told you, you really are?

You see, when Holly met with Sir John Hegarty, founder of BBH and The Garage Soho, he was adamant that every single person on this earth is creative, it’s just down to you to channel that creative energy. Sir John also highlighted that creativity is chaos, and that’s okay – and this is the advice that has really changed Holly’s life. 

This week, while recalling this conversation, Holly shares her own struggles with feeling inefficient, and like she’s not juicing every working minute effectively enough. Focusing on some of the brands Holly admires most, she reveals why they hold such a place in heart, and how using your freedom to be creative can actually be the key to your success, no matter who you are. 

You can hear Sir John Hegarty’s full episode here. 

Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? Subscribe to Holly’s weekly newsletters on our website, where she shares small business inspiration of all kinds, exclusive nuggets of wisdom from her and her guests, plus offers, creative ideas, and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

Holly’s guest this week is the vivacious, captivating and eminently stylish Trinny Woodall, who is likely to truly surprise you in more ways than one. You may know Trinny from her glittering TV career, her bestselling books or her inspired makeup brand Trinny London, but what lies underneath the energetic Instagram LIVES and YouTube tutorials? A sheer will to survive.

With a career spanning more than three decades, Trinny’s story is a fascinating one involving many twists and turns. In this interview, Trinny bares all about overcoming imposter syndrome in her early career, the crushing failure of her first business venture and even an honest account of her brief encounter with rehab in her early twenties.

Despite the lows that Trinny has conquered, there have been many highs – and it is clear that she has always been light years ahead of her time with her business ideas and vision for the future. 

Trinny’s sole mission has always been to help every woman look and feel their very best, and throughout her journey, she has learnt many lessons that have led her to being the happiest and most comfortable in her own skin that she has ever been. 

It’s an episode that recognises and celebrates the survival instinct of all entrepreneurs, and one that you won’t want to miss.

If you enjoyed this conversation, you might also enjoy Holly’s episode with Bobbi Brown, founder of Jones Road Beauty. 

This Conversations of Inspiration podcast episode is brought to you with support from Adobe Express.

Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? Subscribe to Holly’s weekly newsletters on our website, where she shares small business inspiration of all kinds, exclusive nuggets of wisdom from her and her guests, plus offers, creative ideas and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice. 

Dedicating oneself to a lifelong dream can be perceived by many as being a risk. Some will consider such devotion to cause stress, pressure and be detrimental to your mental health. But have you ever recognised that having such strong aspirations could actually be your saviour?

Thinking back to when she heard Dame Kelly Holmes DBE’s Conversation of Inspiration, Holly explores how having such a desire for success can be the key to your happiness. 

Dame Kelly’s story was not an easy one to hear at times, as she opened up about her very darkest days battling with depression and her mental health. However, what has stayed with Holly is the fact that Dame Kelly’s obsession with achieving her goals, actually kept her alive, and enabled and even empowered her to make history.  

Recalling her own journey so far, Holly also shares how both of her business ventures have been that guiding light when the waters were at their roughest, and reveals just why you should never let go of the anchor that is your wildest dreams…

You can hear Dame Kelly Holmes’ full episode here. 

Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? Subscribe to Holly’s weekly newsletters on our website, where she shares small business inspiration of all kinds, exclusive nuggets of wisdom from her and her guests, plus offers, creative ideas, and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains talk about self harming and mental health. 

Have you ever sat down and thought about your values? Have you ever asked yourself what you truly believe in?

In less than 15 minutes, learn from Holly why she thinks that recognising and staying true to these values is so integral to living a happy and fulfilled life. 

Inspired by her conversation with artist Dave Buonaguidi, Holly shares the lightbulb moment which clicked when she spoke with Dave about his business journey, and how the direction of his life changed dramatically because of the guiding ethics he holds dear. 

Holly also shares what she values so much more highly than things like wealth, along with her advice when it comes to not letting others get in the way of your core beliefs.

You can hear Dave Buonaguidi’s full episode here. 

Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? Subscribe to Holly’s weekly newsletters on our website, where she shares small business inspiration of all kinds, exclusive nuggets of wisdom from her and her guests, plus offers, creative ideas, and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

Do you truly know what your role is in life? 

There are so many hats to be worn as a founder, that your key responsibilities can often become muddied in the everyday running of a business. However, this week, Holly is here to share what your ultimate priority should be as an entrepreneur, and why you should never ever lose sight of this.

Holly re-evaluated the whole concept of being a business owner when she met with Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones MBE, politician and founder of The Black Farmer, who achieved his lifelong goal of owning a farm through challenging the status quo and keeping an ultra clear vision of what he needed to do, to drive towards his dream. 

Recalling her own experiences so far, Holly explores the key lessons she has learnt herself as founder of notonthehighstreet and now Holly & Co, and why understanding your position as a leader is so intrinsic to not only your business, but your happiness, too. 

You can hear Wilfed’s full episode here. 

Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? Subscribe to Holly’s weekly newsletters on our website, where she shares small business inspiration of all kinds, exclusive nuggets of wisdom from her and her guests, plus offers, creative ideas, and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

If someone said that your life or business was simple, would you take offence? Well Holly did when founding notonthehighstreet. However, it wasn’t until this lightbulb moment struck, that she recognised it wasn’t an insult. 

Holly suddenly understood the beauty in keeping things simple when speaking with Jo Tutchener Sharp, founder of Scamp and Dude, who coined her straightforward yet revolutionary business idea in a hospital bed, recovering from life-saving surgery. 

This week, Holly explains why there’s no shame in not over-complicating your business for the sake of feeling busy – and actually how this could in fact make or break you, and your business. Holly also reveals the secret ingredient to success that surprisingly, so few of us possess. 

You can hear Jo Tutchener-Sharp’s full episode here. 

Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? Subscribe to Holly’s weekly newsletters on our website, where she shares small business inspiration of all kinds, exclusive nuggets of wisdom from her and her guests, plus offers, creative ideas and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

The lead up to receiving exam results really can be one of the most anxious times in our lives, and often it's the same for our children — but why? 

In just ten minutes, hear Holly’s own experiences of exam failure and get some real perspective on why school education is only a chapter in our lives. This week, Holly gets thinking about the many opportunities out there for each and every one of us depending on our strengths and abilities, and it might just help you, too. 

Taken from her conversation with Robin Hutson OBE, hospitality connoisseur and founder of The Pig Hotel collection, this short clip is of Robin's heart-wrenching letter to his younger self. It spans his own experience with exams and offers key pieces of advice he wished he'd known as a young man when it comes to looking beyond school, and following your passion. 

You can listen to Robin Hutson’s full episode here. 

Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? Subscribe to Holly’s weekly newsletters on our website, where she shares small business inspiration of all kinds, exclusive nuggets of wisdom from her and her guests, plus offers, creative ideas, and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

In just 15 minutes, hear Fearne and Holly’s experiences of the highs and lows of parenting, and how they both manage the family juggle throughout the most hectic of times, and in very different ways…

In busy periods like the summer holidays, it’s so easy to find that making time for yourself has once again fallen to the bottom of your ‘to do’ list isn’t it? 

Since becoming a parent herself, Holly has always had a business baby to care for as well as her son Harry – and so, this week, Holly is here to share the techniques she has mastered over the years that help her to manage her responsibilities, her quality time with family and friends, her business and also her mental health. Holly also explains why parenting is not always a pretty picture, no matter what your Instagram feed shows you, and we think it might just make you smile. 

Holly’s lightbulb moment comes from her conversation with her dear friend Fearne Cotton, who readily admits that being a parent is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but equally, that is a gift like no other. Listen now to hear how Fearne manages the spectacular juggle that is parenthood, in a very different way to Holly.

You can listen to Fearne Cotton’s full episode here. 

Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? Subscribe to Holly’s weekly newsletters on our website, where she shares small business inspiration of all kinds, exclusive nuggets of wisdom from her and her guests, plus offers, creative ideas, and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.