Style and Substance

Let's be real. None of us have limitless budgets that allow us to do everything we'd like on our brand: we all have to make choices. But we do think there is a big difference between a bootstrapping mentality (saving money at all costs and compromising on quality as you go) and the reality of bootstrapping your brand (making smart choices that will move your brand forwards, however tight your budget). We dig into all of this and more in today's episode where Fi is sharing a wealth of advice and practical tips on where to invest, where to save and how to create the strongest impression with your brand whatever your budget. This is going to be one to bookmark and share and we are so excited to share it with you!Fi's brilliant and free "Where to start" course that we mention can be found here: https://thebrandstylist.thinkific.com/courses/creating-your-brand-course. Essential viewing if you are creating a brand from scratch, rebranding or wanting to make sure you are squeezing the potential out of your brand.

This special episode, created in honour of International Women's Day is a pulling together of just a glimmer of the wisdom held in our wonderful community of inspiring and empowered entrepreneurs. Rather than hearing from us, in this episode, we hear from you. Thank you to everyone who sent in a submission to be included we have tried to feature as many of you as we can, and whilst it hasn't been possible to feature everyone (we were inundated) we are so grateful to have read your stories and found them utterly inspiring.Those women who's stories and words of wisdom shared can be found on Instagram here:Catherine Finkernargel @finkernagelross, Sarah Hobbs @hoskinhobbs, Carla Contreras @chefcarlacontreras, Liz Lloyd @lizlloydjewellery, Ellie Bowie @ellie.bowie , Silvana Olivo @silvanaolivo, Cattie Coyle @cattiecoyle, Robyn Zachary @robinzachary, Zaaheda Dhalech @cinnamonclouds.za, Katie Hawes @edieandchalk, Trisha Patel @trishapatelart, Liandri Fouché @mrs_l.f, Rebecca McKloskey @weave.interiordesign, Sarah rooted in truth, Louise Hayes @louisehayescakedesign, Rachel @rachel.brightavenue, Shim Patel @huxandmu, Alison Reddan @alisonreddandesigns, Lisa Corbett @mindenwoodfloraldesign, Charlotte Hepworth @bespokehomemoves, Gail Jones @gailjonesartist, Kavita Parmar @_xtant_ , Holly Becker @decor8, Sarah Turner @littlebeausheep, Natasha April @sayloviestudio, Catherine Stacey @cat_stacey_jewellery, Brenda Chadambura @brendachadamburaWe wholeheartedly encourage you to connect, learn more and be inspired.Much love and Happy International Womens Day, Elizabeth & Fi

International Womens Day is coming up this week so it feels timely to explore this topic of Claiming Our Rightful Place as Women in Business and what we can do to step fully and confidently into our authority. We talk about the superpowers we uniquely have as women in business what might hinder our ability to take our rightful place and leave you with some profound words of wisdom from a much loved English treasure. Apologies for the slightly less than perfect audio quality in the first couple of minutes of the intro, we've sorted it for the main part of the episode so hopefully it won't deter anyone from listening on, and we really hope you enjoy the conversation.

Phew...what a whirlwind the last few weeks has been and a hot topic for us both of late has been energy, how much do we have, how do we keep it high and how do we get it all done? So today to kick off the new season we've got a short and punchy episode where we catch up with our out-of-the-norm escapades over half term and some quick tips for managing your energy. Back to business as usual next week and in the mean time if you want to check out the Designers Track that Fi mentions you can find details here: https://thebrandstylist.thinkific.com/courses/brand-designers-track. If you want to get on the wait list for the next cohort of Brand Catalyst you can do that here: https://www.thebrand-stylist.com/brand-catalyst-programme and please do send us your videos, photos and snippets to be included in our celebration of our wonderful community of female entrepreneurs for our International Womens Day special. You can DM us via insta @styleandsubstance_podcast or email us at elizabeth@elizabethcairns.com or fiona@fionahumberstone.com.

International Womens Day is coming up on 8th March and we want to create a celebratory showcase of all the wonderful female entrepreneurs in our incredible community. We want to hear your stories, your successes, your pearls of wisdom and we will do our best to share as many as we can. To join the action just send us a short insta ready video or image and story to podcast@fionahumberstone.com or DM us on the podcast insta @styleandsubstance_podcast. We can't wait to hear from you.

Creativity is the lifeblood of both of our businesses and we have both experienced the game changing impact for ourselves and our clients when we really feel the strong sense of identity as a creative in our bones. When you can really own your creativity and it is woven through the fabric of your life and work it is transformative and not just for the jobbing artists amongst us. For every business owner serious about having the edge and working in a joyful and empowering way, creativity is a skill to hone and a way of being that we both feel should take centre stage. In this episode we walk through how to embed a strong sense of creative identity and how it shapes our thinking, our relationships and the innovation possible with our businesses. Enjoy!