Scale Her Up: Female business stories and expert tips for business growth and success

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Kerryann Martin — owner and managing director of K&M Cleaning Services Limited.

Kerryann started in 2014. Her son was only months old. Her daughter was in nursery. The plan was simple: go out and clean some houses, work around the school hours, answer to nobody.

"Oh, how that changed very quickly."

Twelve years on, K&M Cleaning Services has 30 staff and a service list that now includes domestic cleaning, deep cleans, tenancy cleaning, commercial contracts, carpet and upholstery cleaning, laundry, and biohazard cleaning. None of...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Lyndsay Yuill — director of Rent Locally, a letting and property management company with an estate agency wing, based in the Central Belt of Scotland.

Lyndsay didn't plan to be in property. She worked in the care sector, running a project for young people in Edinburgh. When the funding was cut — as part of an equal pay anomaly that redirected council money — she landed in a letting agency while waiting for disclosure checks to clear. Within a year, she'd been headhunted to open a branch. Within the year after...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Alison Gray — founder of Skillfluence, a company that helps entrepreneurs, business leaders, and academic researchers get their ideas out into the world and make a difference with them.

Alison started Skillfluence after a project she led at work was so successful it got absorbed into a large organisation. She found herself getting worse at her job, not better. She took a sabbatical to San Francisco with her partner — six months, life savings, studied at Berkeley and Stanford, went to Toastmasters — and came back knowing she had to build...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Nyasha Mangaba — managing director of Potters Healthcare Limited and co-founder, with her husband, of the Mani Group: a portfolio of businesses operating across Scotland, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia, and Mauritius.

I invited Nyasha to talk about Potters Healthcare. What I got was rather more than that.

In Scotland, Potters Healthcare and sister company Mighty Care provide social support and home care to nearly 500 elderly service users across the central belt — Stirling, Falkirk, Clackmannanshire, East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow and West Lothian. The Mani Group also operates in logi...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Ros Marshall — managing director and co-founder of Molke Limited, an ethical underwear brand manufactured in Scone, rural Perthshire, now shipping to 72 countries worldwide.

You might not have heard of Molke. You should have. They make comfortable, supportive, non-wired bras in a size range that runs from a 26 band to a 54 band, and up to a P cup. They've been going since 2016. They have a Facebook community of 12 to 13,000 members. And everything is made in Scotland.

And it all started because Kirsty — Ros's co-director and the orig...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Cecilia Grigor, director of Planitt Scotland Limited — a marketing partner (she doesn't like the word agency) based in Inverness, now in its 13th year, with 10 staff working fully remotely from across the UK.

Cecilia started the business by herself, in a single room at home, because she needed to be at the school gates at 4 o'clock. What started as a single mum doing "whatever needed done" for clients who didn't know what to do with their marketing has grown into a team spanning Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow an...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Dominique Dawson — director of Finnies the Jeweller in Aberdeen, and, as I realised partway through this conversation, the first third-generation female business owner I've ever interviewed in 170-plus episodes.

Dominique's grandparents founded Finnies. Her mum and uncle ran it. Now Dominique and her brother are the third generation. And next year, the business turns 70.

Her baby bouncer was installed in her grandfather's office.

She went on to get her graduate gemology qualification in London, spent four years as assistant manager at Chanel Fine Je...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Emma Hutton — a social justice leader with over 20 years of experience, and until March of this year, the Chief Executive of JustRight Scotland.

Emma left that role after burning out. She's sharing her story on this podcast for the same reason she wrote a long, honest article about it on LinkedIn: because she thinks she might have recognized the signs earlier if she'd seen someone else describe it first.

This is not a business episode in the usual sense. But if you lead anything — a busi...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Debbie Mitchell, director of Atholl Scott Financial Services — an independent financial planning firm in Aberdeen with a 60-year history behind it.

In September 1999, Debbie went into work as normal. By the time she went home, she was the director. Her boss and his wife had left without warning that Tuesday morning, and the CA firm partners called her to say she was now running things.

There were lots of tears. A significant amount of wine. Her sister drove to the office af...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Leanne Ramage, Managing Director of Kudo Software — a renewable energy software company that helps manage projects and people across wind farms, solar farms, battery storage and pumped hydro.

Leanne didn't plan to lead a company. She didn't plan to stay in renewables after her PhD. She didn't plan for most of what's happened. What she did was take each opportunity that appeared in front of her — and that approach, combined with what she describes as an almost inconvenient stubbornness, has brought her here.

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by two guests: Alison Harper, founder of Harper Psychology, and Sara Huibregtse Van Loon, psychological therapist and the person Alison hopes to one day hand the practice to.

Harper Psychology — formerly Harper Clinical Psychology — is an Edinburgh-based private psychology practice that's been running for around 20 years. What started as a solo clinical psychologist practice grew to two during the first 10 years, and then, when COVID hit and the NHS couldn't keep up with demand, expanded to a team of six — including two therapy dogs.

One of those...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Laura Weir, Managing Director of Direct Lettings — a letting agency based in Edinburgh and Dundee, now servicing much of the East Coast of Scotland and growing into the build-to-rent sector.

Laura joined Direct Lettings 14 years ago, was essentially told to "run with it," had four children while running the business, never really took maternity leave, and found emails coming from her account on the day she had a C-section. Two years ago she bought into the business and became MD.

This is a conversation about wh...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Gaynor Duthie, Managing Partner of Genoa Black — a strategy, brand and marketing consultancy with teams in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and now Los Angeles.

Gaynor joined Genoa Black on day three of its existence, worked for nothing in exchange for a promise of equity, became a partner in 2014, and has led the business to where it is today: 14 people, over 1,000 Scottish SMEs served, and an international expansion underway.Strategy, AI and the Advice That Unlocks Your Next Level | Gaynor Duthie | Scale HER Up

This is a...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Jessica Sneddon, co-owner and co-founder of Soundbite PR — an Edinburgh-based PR agency that works exclusively in hospitality, food tourism and food and drink production.

Jessica and her business partner Martha Bryce have built Soundbite from just the two of them into a team of nine, with around 30 clients across some of Scotland's most celebrated hotels, restaurants and producers. Their specialist approach has attracted clients including the Old Course Hotel and a host of independent restaurants, distilleries and food producers — and their staff retention is a quiet testament to t...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Jen Landels, Managing Director of Studio LR — a 22-year-old independent creative agency based in Leith, Edinburgh, that helps ambitious organisations build brands and campaigns with both substance and standout.

Jen calls Studio LR "the gutsy creative agency" — and this conversation is every bit as gutsy as the work they do. She talks about brand strategy for businesses of all sizes, what it really means to step into leadership for the first time, and why the most powerful thing holding most of us back is our own self-belief.

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Catherine Bunn, Managing Director of Highland Campervans and Director of Camper Lux Limited — a motorhome dealership on the outskirts of Inverness that Catherine built from scratch, starting with two campervans, a baby in a car seat, and a conservatory extension she never actually built.

Catherine has been running Highland Campervans for nearly 20 years. She started the business after leaving the Royal Air Force, grew it organically while raising two sons, built a team of over 20, and is now preparing for the next major phase of growth. This is...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Michelle Quinn — Managing Director and co-owner of Almond Engineering, a precision engineering company based in Livingston, West Lothian.

Michelle started at Almond as a 17-year-old on a three-week temporary contract. She had no qualifications, no idea what engineering was, and no particular plan. Twenty-one years later, she owns the company.

This is one of the most extraordinary journeys I've heard on this podcast — and Michelle tells it with complete honesty, including the parts that were hard.

We cover:

- What Almond Engi...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Fiona MacEachern, Managing Director of Loch Lomond Brewery and Levenbank Distillery — a business she started from scratch with her husband in 2011, home brewing for fun, and has grown into a 15-strong team producing 6,000 hectoliters of beer a year, alongside gin, vodka, rum and their own whiskey barrels.

This is one of those conversations that stays with you. Fiona is honest, direct and refreshingly no-nonsense — about what it really takes to build a business from nothing, what happened when she faced cancer treatment while running the company, and why...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Mary Pat McFarlane, Director of VMH Solicitors — a firm celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, with staff members who have been there since day one.

Mary Pat has been with VMH for 22 years, progressing from assistant solicitor to associate to partner to director. She's also a former Scotland international rugby player who credits the sport with shaping how she leads, prepares and builds teams to this day.

This is a conversation full of practical wisdom — about what genuinely great staff retention look...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Anne Wright, Finance Director of FBD Consultancy — a husband-and-wife accounting practice that started with no clients, no money and a house with no gable end, and has grown into a team of nine over nearly 20 years.

Anne is a CIPFA-qualified accountant and a passionate advocate for small businesses. She's also spent 15 years as a QuickBooks software trainer, delivering sessions from Northern Ireland to Orkney — a journey that transformed her confidence and proved that an accountant who says yes to opportunities can end up doing far more than push...

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Julie McCann, founder and CEO of Masters in Minds Limited — a leadership, management and organisational development business with 17 years of impact behind it.

Julie's story is one of real transformation. She left school at 16 with few qualifications, built her career from the ground up through corporate life, and eventually founded her own business after years of helping other organisations scale and succeed. Today she leads a team of eight full-time staff and 40 associates, and runs a platform business combining HR technology with bespoke learning and development content.

What does it take to follow a dream — literally — and turn it into a thriving business?

Jules Fleming is the co-owner of Continental Cream, an iconic ice cream and sweet shop in Banchory, Aberdeenshire, that's been delighting customers for over 40 years. Jules bought the shop five years ago after dreaming she owned it, walked in the next day, and asked the previous owners if they wanted to sell. They did.

In this episode, Jules shares the honest, unfiltered journey of buying an existing business — the chaotic first summer, the 2am laptop sessions, the staffing challenges, the im...

What happens when you launch a workplace consultancy focused on human connection at the exact moment the entire world goes into strict isolation? In this episode, Dr Brenda Hector sits down with Lisa Gallagher and Nikki Slowey, co-founders of Flexibility Works, to explore their six-year journey running an impactful social enterprise.

Both Lisa and Nikki share their matching professional histories: reaching senior levels, navigating motherhood, and hitting absolute organizational brick walls when attempting to negotiate basic part-time or job-share terms. Dr Brenda Hector also shares her personal experience navigating the rigid workplace frameworks of the past as...

What do you do when you successfully build a business that runs like a well-oiled machine without you, but your heart completely leaves the building? In this episode, Dr Brenda Hector sits down with long-time friend Oyin Adekola, founder of Keeping It Real With Oyin .

Oyin opens up about her raw psychological journey of exiting her legendary Aberdeen commercial bakery enterprise, Oh Cakes!, which she grew over 13 years from a single £20 order to a multi-staff empire with its own commercial unit, receptionist, and administration team . She discusses the agonizing two-and-a-half-year period she spent mourning the business before g...

How do you transition from advising the Prime Minister in Number 10 Downing Street to running a virtual boutique consultancy that shapes the operating models of global aerospace and tech giants? In this episode, Dr Brenda Hector sits down with Sarah Stone, founder of Samtaler, to demystify the multi-billion-pound world of "social value".

Sarah breaks down how a chance encounter with the Procurement Reform Act transformed her career and highlights the harsh business reality every entrepreneur must face: discovering whether a market problem causes enough pain for clients to actually buy a solution. As a military spouse who...

What do you do when the business everyone else considers "highly successful" is the exact thing causing you to burn out? In this episode, Dr Brenda Hector sits down with Iska Walter, owner of Iska Birnie Photography, to celebrate her ninth year in business and discuss the power of the strategic pivot.

Iska shares her journey from working as a car mechanic apprentice in Germany to packing up her life in the Netherlands and moving to Scotland. She reveals how she inherited a fully booked wedding photography pipeline, why shooting 40 weddings in a single year left her...

What is the difference between starting a career and buying a business? In this episode, Dr Brenda Hector sits down with Katie Backler, Managing Director of Charles White Limited, to explore her 25-year journey leading one of Scotland and Northern Ireland's premier residential property management firms.

Katie shares the fascinating story of buying a fifth-generation family business in 2001 and intentionally stepping in as an owner rather than a technician. We trace the strategic evolution of the company, including expanding into Belfast, navigating the financing hurdles of an asset-light service company, and the tough decision to sell their...

Are you spending three hours a week on bookkeeping when you should be making sales? Dr. Brenda Hector is joined by Fiona Purves, owner of Defacto FD, to discuss why your business numbers are more than just a tax bill—they are the story of your success.

Fiona shares her transition from corporate industry to setting up a "pick and mix" finance department for small businesses. We dive into the importance of professional accreditation, why your bookkeeper might be feeling "professionally lonely," and how Fiona’s background as a yoga teacher brings a philosophy of "Karma Yoga" (self...

Lisa Schoneville’s journey is a powerful case study in the difference between owning a job and owning a business. From counting out pennies to afford nappies to building two multi-staff companies that operate entirely without her, Lisa’s story is a masterclass in resilience and strategic systemisation.

What happens when your "flexible" business starts consuming 60 hours of your week? For serial entrepreneur Lisa Schoneville, it was the catalyst for a radical change in strategy. In this episode, Dr Brenda Hector talks with the founder of a thriving cleaning company and a specialised property management firm—both of whi...

This is a special re-release of the most-listened-to episode of Scale Her Up. Katie Watson’s story of transformation—from crippling childhood shyness to leading the BWC Futures group and excelling at the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce—is a masterclass in resilience and authentic career building.

How do you go from being too shy to leave your house to hosting major networking events for young professionals? In this special re-release of the Scale HER Up's most popular episode ever, Dr Brenda Hector talks with Katie Watson of the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

Kati...

From war zones in Iraq to the boardrooms of the North Sea energy sector, Diana Muriel’s career is a masterclass in high-stakes communication. In this episode, she shares why she traded her blood-group-stamped vest for a role as a "Family Manager" and corporate consultant, proving that the most powerful tool in any business is the ability to tell a simple, truthful story .

🎙️ Episode Summary

Dr. Brenda Hector sits down with Diana Muriel, Communications Manager at Serica Energy and former CNN International war correspondent . Diana reveals how she navigated the transition from th...

From a registered general nurse to the owner of three thriving skin clinics in North Kent, Emma Coleman is a testament to the power of the "side hustle" and the importance of clinical expertise in the beauty industry. In this episode, she gets honest about the "busy fool" stage of her early business, the reality of bootstrapping, and why she records her first podcast from a store cupboard.

🎙️ Episode Summary

Dr. Brenda Hector sits down with Emma Coleman, founder of Emma Coleman Skin, to discuss her transition from 20 years in the NHS to scaling a multi...

In this episode of Scale Her Up, Dr. Brenda Hector talks with Sonia Schulenberg, CEO and founder of Level E Research. Sonia shares her journey from Mexico City to the University of Edinburgh, where she pioneered the use of autonomous AI agents in asset management. She breaks down why traditional AI fails in the "non-stationary" world of finance and how she built a digital twin of the global market to outperform multibillion-dollar funds . Beyond the tech, Sonia reveals the staggering level of commitment required to scale, including a legendary story of closing an investment round and paying salaries while...

In this milestone episode, Dr. Brenda Hector talks with Julie Moulsdale, who celebrates 20 years at the helm of her award-winning consultancy, Perceptive Communicators. Julie shares the "madness" of starting a niche business while one month pregnant at the start of a global credit crunch—and how she turned that risk into a 20-year success story with a world-class Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 93 . This conversation is essential listening for leaders who want to move from being "doers" to "conductors" and for those who believe that visibility in business is not just vanity—it's leadership.

Everyone told her that...

🎙️ In this episode of Scale Her Up, Dr Brenda Hector talks with Leah Athanassopoulos, the owner and managing director of Alpha Hospital Group. Leah shares her incredible journey of scaling a part-time plastic surgery clinic into a fully regulated private hospital, filling a critical gap in women’s health and fertility services in the North of Scotland.

Leah discusses how her background in counseling and psychotherapy has been her "secret weapon" for leadership, staff management, and building a patient-centered culture. We also dive into the reality of the "juggle"—balancing a business, a lecturing career, and a growing f...

How do you transition from a decade in a research lab to leading a high-stakes biotech company? In this episode, Dr Brenda Hector talks with Soumya Palliyil, the CEO and co-founder of Brigid Bio, a brand-new spinout from the University of Aberdeen.

Soumya shares the journey of developing novel treatments for life-threatening invasive fungal infections—a field where mortality rates can reach a staggering 80%. We dive into the "long-haul flight" of drug development, the necessity of impact investors, and why your most valuable asset is the network you build over 20 years.

Key Takeaways:

In this episode of Scale Her Up, I’m joined by Deborah O’Neill, CEO and founder of Novabiotics.

Deborah shares the story behind building a biotech company in Aberdeen, developing innovative healthcare products for both pharmaceutical and consumer health markets. From respiratory disease treatments to nail care products, everything Novabiotics creates is rooted in the same scientific foundation: understanding how the immune system protects and repairs the body.

We talk about the reality of founding and growing a biotech business, the marathon of product development, how innovation is funded, and why tenacity matters so much...

In this episode of Scale Her Up, I’m joined by Donna Sutherland, founder and Head of Commercial at Veri Energy, Vice President of the Scottish Energy Forum, and a Visiting Professor at Strathclyde University.

Donna shares her remarkable career journey through the energy sector, from starting on the trading floor at Scottish and Southern Energy to leading major commercial and project work in oil and gas, and now helping shape the future of the energy transition through Veri Energy.

We talk about leadership, communication, energy policy, innovation, determination and the importance of protecting jobs, sk...

In this episode of Scale Her Up, I’m joined by Annie Kenyon, founder of Annie Kenyon Architects.

Annie shares the story behind building her architectural practice over the last 20 years, growing it from a sole practitioner business into a respected studio known for creativity, honesty and beautiful design.

We talk about what it means to grow a business without losing sight of your values, why being selective about the work you take on matters, and how Annie has balanced entrepreneurship, leadership, motherhood and creativity along the way.

This is an honest and th...

In this episode of Scale Her Up, I’m joined by Charlotte Nichols, founder of Harvey & Hugo.

Charlotte shares how her business helps clients amplify their voices through storytelling across PR, media, podcasts, video and social media, and why the stories people feel are the ones that truly drive action.

We talk about emotion in marketing, trust, credibility, confidence, communication and what it takes to build a business around your authentic self rather than the version you think the world expects.

Charlotte also shares the story behind the name Harvey & Hugo, why she st...