Style and Substance

In this last episode of the season we are exploring the low pressure ways you can find your edge, your space, create impact and maintain inspiration...even if the pace is a little slower over the summer.We talk about reconnecting with your muses, getting your processes in order, thinking more strategically to find and maintain your space and some invitations to open up to a little more possibility.We mention a few of the courses available in The Brand Stylist Academy, as well as previous episodes which you can find here:The Muses conversationBrand Clarity.Media Kit Mastered.Glow up your website in a morning episode. As it's our last episode before the break, we've taken the opportunity to have a bit of an extended catch up, and are getting a few passionate opinions off our chest before the summer. It contains content some listeners may find sensitive (we're not holding back on Ai) and reference to suicide, so if you'd like to jump straight to the main conversation you can find that around 20 minutes in.Thank you for being with us for another season and we look forward to jumping back in come September.Have a great summerElizabeth & Fionax

There is a big difference between a business intentionally making space for rest and restoration and one that ends up losing momentum and traction without realising it...and losing out as a result. If you tuned into our conversation on planning for a restorative summer, this is the essential counterpoint and the other half of the story.When the heat is literally on, how do we ensure we can maintain the pace and drive that we need to keep business flowing, without breaking ourselves?This conversation is for those who might have a tendency to slow down to almost a full stop and need the motivation, strategy and encouragement to keep focussed, productive and firmly in the driving seat of their business....even in a heatwave.

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.

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.

This week is mental health awareness week and so we're taking the opportunity to dig a little deeper into what tending to our mental health as entrepreneurs looks like for us. In this wide ranging conversation, we explore some of the unique conditions that leave entrepreneurs potentially vulnerable to mental health struggles and how we deal with those ourselves. We dig into vulnerability and how it shows up for us as both a challenge and an opportunity. We talk about our own challenges with giving and receiving support and how tricky it can be to build community even with the closest of friends. We end with a few of the many resources that we have found to be hugely helpful for us both, the links as promised are below. Thank you as ever for joining us and if you are in a place where you're struggling, as far as we are humanly able, we will always do our best to support. Go gently. Much love, Elizabeth & FionaThe Homing podcast episode we mention where Matt Gibberd interviews Urban Designer David Engwicht can be found here.We are both avid fans of The Class - a music-driven somatic workout where we exercise the body to engage the mind and connect to the heart. You can dip your toe in with a free trial.Courtney Baxter of TRE Surrey is also highly recommended for Trauma Release work and Quantum Energy Coaching. We've both enjoyed her workshops, classes and 121 sessions.For those curious about the benefits of Singing for unlocking creativity, fostering wellbeing and nurturing community. Sound and Song run by my dear friend Zoe Hatch is a must try. She runs weekend harmony singing circles and holds a truly safe space for women to come together and enjoy using their voices.The Be Still and Notice podcast is a soothing oasis of calm and reflection in your day hosted by my dear friend and fellow Yogi Helen taylor. You can find it here. My colleague and dar friend, Jo McAndrews has created an extraordinarily comprehensive and sensitively delivered online course that does actually teach us the skills of warm attentive listening and accompaniment. Jo's work is trauma and attachment theory informed and based in solid science as well as being hugely and reassuringly relational. Whilst the course is aimed at building skills for parents and carers it's something I feel we can all benefit hugely from whether you are a parent or not. You can find it here.