Style and Substance

Last week Fiona and I talked about the need for space to feed creativity and joy in our work and we know that the pace of this year can get a little overwhelming at times...so we're here to offer a little antidote to the haste and the hustle.As Fiona is away on a photoshoot in Guernsey this week, instead of our usual format, I've recorded a guided practice for you. This is aimed at helping you cultivate a sense of grounded spaciousness and inviting more possibility, flow and ease into your work. I do hope you find it helpful.

Phew! this year is galloping away lovely listeners and in this episode, as we've passed the crest of midsummer, we're thinking ahead a few weeks to the summer break. Both Fi and I traditionally take around six weeks off over the summer and today we enjoy a wide ranging conversation about why we feel the need and how we plan for it. We explore the difference for us between rest and restoration, the differing types of rest we plan to make space for and how we are trying to avoid skidding into the summer break in a hot mess! It's a pretty personal episode and we hope you enjoy the conversation. A reminder from our lovely sponsors Squarespace of their free live circle event happening today (as this comes out) Wednesday 24th, 3pm uk time with Fiona talking about Design on your terms and taking questions. You can register your place here https://luma.com/circle-live-040

We continue our Colour Psychology for Branding series with this episode as we dig into the hazy delights of summer.In this conversation, Fiona walks us through the nuances of the summer seasonal personality and how we translate it through to a beautiful, stylish and elegant brand identity. We'll explore the colours, shapes, textures, photography styles, typography and key considerations for any business looking to bring the essence of summer into their brand.Thank you to our sponsors for this episode - Squarespace.You can find the details and register for a place on their Live Circle event on Wednesday 24th June with Fiona here You can find the Absolute Essentials of Colour Psychology and the other Colour Psychology resources Fiona mentions hereYou can find our previous conversation on the Spring Seasonal Personality here

Business is asking a lot of us at the moment and it's a whirlwind of creativity and genuine joy, but to ride those wild horses we are having to double down on looking after ourselves and keeping our vitality high. So this week, along with our regular catch up, Elizabeth is reading from the first chapter of her book the Empowered Entrepreneur, entitled 'Vitality - The Sustaining Force of your Business'. We hope you enjoy lovely listeners. The book is on half price summer sale at the moment so if you'd like to snag your copy while stocks last then you can order your personal signed copy from Elizabeth's website here https://www.elizabethcairns.com/book

What's in a name? When it comes to branding, a whole lot!Naming brands and products is one of our absolute favourite things to do and there's nothing quite like that feeling and the traction you get when you land on one that is just right for your business. In this episode we talk through some of the things we consider when it comes to naming, why we avoid AI and, amongst other things, some of the pro's and cons of using your own name for your company.We mention the naming masterclass so if you are foraying into rebranding or renaming your business and would like a tried and tested process to follow you can check it out on The Brand Stylist Academy here.

One of the great joys and benefits of entrepreneurship is we get to be nimble, we can flex and evolve as circumstances change the face of business rarely stays the same over time. Fiona and I have certainly enjoyed a varied 25 years or so in business and today we're sharing a little of that picture.Whilst we may have learnt how to adapt over the years, one thing sadly neither of us has ever been able to control is the ever changing landscape of the market. Recessions, pandemics, global turbulence, the pace of tech...all impact the daily reality.In this conversation we are exploring how business has evolved over the years and the things that have helped us find, maintain and lean into our edge and what has, and still does, make it a continual creative challenge to stay in the game and most importantly enjoy it.