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

Welcome back to Scale Her Up! Today we have Lynne Kennedy on the podcast, who is the founder of Business Women Connect (BWC). BWC is a franchise across Scotland that sets out to give women the opportunity and support to run their own business. After starting in 2022, Lynne has expanded to Glasgow, Edinburgh and now Aberdeen. After originally starting as a magazine, BWC now has expanded to host networking events and even put on roadshows with thousands of attendees. Lynne talks about her journey to becoming an entrepreneur and how she's grown to now even win an MBE for...

Welcome back to Scale Her Up! Today we have Chantal Cornelius of Apple Tree Marketing joining us. After 25 years of owning her own business Chantal is a marketing maestro. Her business specializes in supporting coaching, consultants and trainers across the globe, with the goal of taking away the scariness of marketing. She helps clarify the messages of both microbusinesses and large companies while giving them tips on how to promote themselves and their brands. In this episode she shares how to achieve the perfect balance between owning your own business and prioritizing your personal life ,her most recent book...

On today's episode of Scale Her Up, we have Debra Baxter, the founder of Music 4 U. Music 4 U is a charity meant to allow young people to experience the performing arts without barriers. After noticing a number of schools in Aberdeenshire were starting to reduce or cut their performing arts programs in school, she set out to fill in the gaps academia leaves in a child's creative education. She then started Music 4 you, creating an integrated stage school that has helped thousands of young people over the 20 years it’s been opened. She has grown the program to allow th...

Welcome back to Scale Her Up! Today we have HR extraordinaire, Lucy Nicholl from Nicholl HR. Nicholl HR gives HR support to small businesses throughout Scotland. Lucy gives an affordable, face to face service that helps owners manage employees and advise them on any legal issues that may arise. In this episode Lucy shares her advice on building a team and creating an atmosphere that encourages employee retention. After almost 2 years in the business Lucy’s passion for HR stems from her own experience of Discrimination in the workplace and as a result her goals is to help employers an...

On today's episode we have Diana Gormley, the Entrepreneur in residence at Robert Gordon’s University and the owner of Danu Solutions Ltd. Danu Solutions is a business that sets out to optimize the use of lean in the companies that employ them. From starting as an engineer, to becoming a secondary school teacher, to now owning her own business, today Diana shares her unique experience and journey to becoming an entrepreneur. She speaks about her position at Robert Gordon University- how she bridges the gap between academia and society, combats students misconceptions around being an entrepreneur, and institutes th...

On today's podcast we have Christina Sutherland, the managing director of GSR. It’s a nursing and at home care provider that offers training, and support services by registered nurses. In this episode, Christina tells her journey of how she became an entrepreneur. From starting her business 11 years ago to now employing just over 250 workers, Christina shares what she's learned throughout it. She's expanded GSR from just one department to three; now spread across 3 separate floors in her office. Christina talks about the importance of loving what you do, the major challenges the nursing sector faced during COVID, the bu...

Today we have such an inspiring one for all of our Women in Stem as we have Joyce Onuonga who is the owner of John White and Sons. It's an engineering firm that specialises in weighing machines, and calibration. They offer a wide variety of services that range over sectors like whiskey producers, farming and renewables. The company is over 300 years old, and Joyce herself has been working there for 30 years. She rose through the ranks starting with just a 6th month contract, to now owning the company. She prioritized continuous learning and innovation introducing programs that utilize top...

Although Scale Her Up is all about empowering the amazing female business owners around the world, we'd be remiss if we didn't feature the equally amazing men in the space who help women be confident and expand who they are. Today's guest does just that. Bob Gentle from Amplify Me, is not only a social media and marketing expert, his business’s goal is to help business owners shine, through expanding and monetizing their personal brand. He is also one of the reasons Brenda started Scale Her Up. His unwavering belief in her ability and his own experience with hi...

Today's episode is an extra special one. We have Tem Ezimokhai from Helping Teachers Thrive. Not only is she a full time secondary school teacher but she hosts and produces her own podcast called Helping Teachers Thrive. It's a biweekly podcast set out to help fill in the gaps university doesn’t cover. After noticing how much new teachers were struggling with both the overwhelming amount of new responsibility and their own mental health, she wanted to create a space where they can come and get advice on things like classroom management, neurodivergence, and even their own well being. In...

On today's episode, we have Dr. Rachel Milne of Dr. Rachel Coaching. She's a life and business coach that specializes in reconnecting women with who they are and helping them rediscover what's important to them. Her journey began at medicine school in Dundee, where she became a qualified psychiatrist. Afterwards she traveled around the UK working in the clinical field. After taking time off to focus on herself, she found a passion for helping women through the same issues she's experienced- anxiety, self esteem issues etc. In her work she helps women become aware of patterns that affect their...

Happy IWD! Today we have Melody Ford, the founder of Meloosha Homecare. They're a domiciliary care provider that gives in home assistance and care to elderly people with the goal of allowing them to stay at home as long as possible and ensuring that family members stay family rather than carers. Since starting her business Melody has franchised it and in her 3rd year of business had a turnover of £3 million. Melody explains about her decision to go into care and the hard but exciting journey of starting her own business. In this episode, Melody talks about creating structures t...

Today we have Noreen Baqir founder of Circle Finance, on the podcast. They're a financial advisor business that helps clients release finance from existing equities and properties.They assess how clients can use what they currently have to finance their future. Noreen founded Circle Finance 7 years ago after being inspired by her father’s own entrepreneurial background and property management experience. In today episode she regales viewers with her quirkier experiences on the job, the passion she has for her work, the importance of confidence, and the comfort of having more women around her in the corporate world.

Today's episode we are joined by Carly McNamara of My Academic Family. It’s a social enterprise specializing in giving support to disadvantaged and first generation university students in order to get them to graduation. They do this by engaging them with their studies, showing them how to navigate the university environment and supporting their needs. Inspired by her own experience as a first generation university student and working within academia; she has a unique insight into what her targeted students need. She launched during COVID-19 in April 2020, with just £1000, and now supports nearly 100 students and holds workshops in sev...

Today's episode is a special one, as we have Katie Watson of Aberdeen Grampian Chamber of Commerce and the lead of BWC Futures group. Even though she's just recently started her corporate journey, Katie has been a standout star, already rising through the ranks of the chamber to become a relationship manager, and was a finalist in the Rising Star Award. Katie speaks about her career path so far and how she's progressed this far at such a young age. She also speaks about the BWC Futures group, a platform to support young professionals in the work field and...

On today's episode we have Tracy Franz of SmartPA. She’s a business administration and performance specialist that has been in business for close to 8 years. She helps businesses optimize their function and allows them to have more time to do what they love and enjoy. Tracy shares the extremely inspiring story of what led her to start her own business. She gets vulnerable and shares her struggles with addiction, and the journey of restarting her life after getting clean. Tracy speaks about impostor syndrome, the dangers of burnout, looking outside the box, and the importance of creating goals fo...

Today we have Lora Caven, an internationally recognized and decorated business coach with a focus on supporting high performing women (in and out of C-suite positions) during perimenopause and menopause. She speaks about her journey to getting to this era in her career after feeling lost following some major changes in her life. Her real passion lies in coaching other women in business through the busiest time of their lives- Menopause. After seeing just how damaging the business world is to women going through that era in their life, she set out to challenge a system designed around men...

Today we have Julita Stachowiak on the podcast. Julita is the Co founder of J&B Finance LTD. It is a accounting and financial consultancy firm that advises clients of the best way to run their business through a financial lens.she shares her journey of how she's gotten to this stage in her life- from moving to the UK from Poland with just £200 in her pocket, to working at one of the big 4 Accountancy firms to be a female entrepreneur of an international company with a completely female team. In their episode she speaks about the common financial i...

In today's episode we have fellow Podcaster Michelle Fraser. Not only is she the host and creator of Energy Sector Heros, she has also been a consultant in the energy and renewable sector for the past 25 years and most recently started a mentorship and career coaching program set out to help the younger generation find their feet within the oil, gas and energy field. She speaks about her career journey, from starting as a junior technician to working her way up to being a senior project development manager. She speaks about the struggles of being a woman in a...

In today's episode we have Avriel Skolnik, Co-Founder of Kionnali Living Systems. Avriel is a true champion of sustainability, who creates self contained sustainable housing to help address the current housing crisis and combat emergency situations with housing. Her passion for the environment and keen intelligence drove her to start creating houses centered around people. As a woman in STEM, Avriel has dealt with a lot of stereotypes and condescension as a result of her gender but she's dealt with it with grace and started a company that is creating the house of the future, has over 10 people on...

Today's episode is extra special as we have not one but 2 guests. Vanessa Tortella & Beverley Wilson join us today to speak about Vanessa’s Business, The Wine Hall and their joint venture Leyssa. Both are a boutique wine import business that sets out to connect customers to unique and specific wines. They also host joint art and wine tasting parties where they pair the two together for attendees to have a unique and fully immersive tasting experience. Although the two haven't known each other long, they had an instant connection based on their shared passions and love for all th...

Today we have Kerry Smith, founder of T28 and Team Cycle. T28 is an online platform for all things fitness, with programs like the 28 day transformation and 10 minute challenges. After starting her entrepreneurial journey during the COVID 19 pandemic, Kerry has managed to expand her business into team cycle, a warehouse dedicated to spin classes. In this episode Kerry speaks about the future of women's fitness, and how she strives to make her business inclusive and welcome to all. She speaks about how to be inventive in such a niche space, the shocks she's had from building a business from...

In today's episode we have Gillian Donald of Blackadders and CHAS. Gillian is a truly inspirational woman, who not only is a partner in her firm’s HR and employment team, but is also a trustee on the board of CHAS, a children's charity set up to assist and provide hospice care for families with ill children. Gillian speaks about her career journey to this point, and the major differences and challenges that come with balancing the two. She speaks about the importance of listening to the people around you,having open conversations between employers and their staff and be...

On today's episode we have Fiona Thomson, the founder of FT Rewards.They help businesses become an attractive place to work, and devise strategies for companies to help employee retention and increase employee satisfaction. Although she’s somewhat new to the entrepreneurial landscape, Fiona has flourished in it. Although she does speak about the learning curve she experienced when starting a new business, like the challenges she faced and the lessons she's learned. Her prior experience has helped her shape FT Rewards to be what she's dreamed of. Today, she speaks about staff retention and satisfaction, how crucial networking wa...

Today's podcast is one very near and dear to Brenda's heart. In this episode she has Genevieve Smith, with Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and more specifically Business Beats Cancer Aberdeen. After a long career in sales, Genevieve found herself unsettled and looked for a career change. When the position within CRUK opened up she made the jump into the third sector and has loved every second of it. In just over a year in the position, she has helped raise over £60,000 and founded boards in both Dundee and now Aberdeen. Today, she speaks about this decision-The challenges she faced, t...

In today's episode we have Adriana Uribe, a member of the Grampian Regional Equality Council. Adriana is a true champion for inclusion and works with minorities across the grampian area on issues like language assistance, discrimination and even neurodivergent help. The council offers a multitude of services ranging from language cafes where English speakers of all proficiency levels can get together to practice, to language programs and even advisory services. She has a passion for intersectionality, and strives to create an even field for minorities in business and beyond. Besides her work in the council, she's a successful entrepreneur...

In today's episode we have Lifestyle physician Dr. Aileen Alexander. Her Business, Nourish Health and Wellbeing, is meant to help and optimize the health of working women. She targets specific issues that arise from the workplaces- like high blood pressure, self confidence etc. She sets out to empower women to look beyond the calories and take charge of their health. Today, she speaks about how she has embraced being an entrepreneur after a long period of impostor syndrome, learning what works to impact deliverables, and even some mistakes she's made along the way. She talks about her love of...

In today's episode, we have Nicole van Der Draaij. Nicole is the founder of Globemark, a business dedicated to helping other businesses increase their online presences through SEO optimization, and ECommerce strategy to increase digital sales. Her passion is helping business stand out among their competitors and get them to the top of google searches. Nicole grew up in a family of entrepreneurship so she's no stranger to starting her own business. Her adventurous spirit has led to her living all over the world. From starting her business in Argentina, to hiring her first freelancer in Indonesia, to now...

On today's podcast, we have Angela De Souza. She's CEO of The Women's Business Club, a networking program that is in over 90 countries. Even though the name may seem limiting, The Women’s Business Club is multifaceted, with Angela’s goal to do business networking different than the traditional way. Beyond the networking club they also do training workshops, conferences, magazines, and even their own podcast. Today, Angela speaks about what brought her to this stage. How her multicultural upbringing shaped her worldview, how going to university is not always the path you should take, and how her diverse work...

After being made redundant at 48, Lynne Hamilton felt lost. She had been working in banking for over 30 years and in her own words was ‘institutionalised”. Suddenly, she didn’t know what to do next. She decided to undergo a complete career change, and started working for a startup. While working quite closely with the entrepreneur who created it, her entire way of thinking was widened, and she loved the environment created. She was then inspired to start her own business, Planet Tasteful that mirrored her passion- Shopping. An online boutique clothing and accessory store, Planet Tasteful is all about being ta...

In this episode, Brenda is joined by Zara Grant the multi award winning owner of Your Love Rara, a collection of businesses centered around promoting creativity in children. From being homeless in her teens to moving completely across the world, Zara believes in living a life with no regrets. When she started Your Love Rara Ltd it with 50 quid and a homemade costume, and she has now made it into a multifaceted company with over 20 employees. In today's podcast, Zara and Brenda speak about the challenges she has faced in running a business where people don’t take her ser...

In today's episode Psychotherapist & Stress Management Coach, Nara Morrison joins Brenda Hector, to discuss impostor syndrome. From how to recognize it, to what may contribute it, and even some ways women and female entrepreneurs can combat it. Nara also speaks about what brought her into the psychology field, how she balances her personal life with her professional one and the advice she would give to her younger self. 

Born and bred in Aberdeen, Elaine is an expert is all things kitchen and remodeling. As an owner of John Willox Kitchen Design for over 10 years Elaine is well-versed and experienced in running a thriving business. In today episode, Elaine reflects on her journey to this point, the challenges COVID-19 brought to her business, and her advice to fellow business owners on how to shape their team ,and the key traits needed to create the perfect team. 

Rachel Mearns is the principal at the Aberdeen Academy of Performing Arts. She has a passion for dance and drama and has turned it into a successful full-time business. At her school not only does she teach a variety of ages but a variety of styles and disciplines. In today’s episode she shares her entrepreneurial journey from a roadside lemonade stand, to Young Enterprise at school, to then graduating with a Law degree and now running a thriving academy with over 400 pupils. Rachel and Brenda also discuss the current challenges facing businesses in Aberdeen city centre, the many ha...

It’s time to lay down the law. Today's episode features Stephanie Mann, A partner at Laurie & CO solicitors LLP. She specialises in all things property and estate law, helping people of all different backgrounds across Scotland. As a partner of an all-female partner firm, Stephanie speaks about the challenges she faced as a young female starting out in a generationally male field. She’s experienced all types of firms (big and small) and has been working since her first traineeship. Brenda and Her speak about the worries of managing your own business, her advice to the younger generations, and...

Today’s podcast is all about the money- specifically what women can do to plan for their finances. When Rhian Morgan started at Accumen Financial Planning in 2006, it was because she loved meeting and speaking to people within the financial sector. Nearly 20 years later she has risen through the ranks from paraplanner to financial advisor and is now a director at the company. In this episode, Rhiann and Brenda speak about what makes you want to stay at the same company for so long, the challenges she's faced as a woman in a male-dominated field, and the lessons she’s le...

For the past 30 years Margeret has built her company Margeret Brown consulting, a leadership coaching business, from the ground up. After dropping out of university Margaret didn’t let that set her back, and instead threw herself into the workforce with zeal, she shortly found herself in sales- where her strong leadership and customer feedback allowed her to rise above the rest. After joining the business gateway program in the 90s, she created numerous courses focusing on sales strategy, effective leadership and personal growth. The course became nationally recognised, and gave her opportunities to coach businesses internationally and work wi...

After 17 years working in the financial sector Sarah Smith was made redundant in 2019. While some may view this as a loss, Sarah saw this as a sign for her to finally pursue her passion. So, in January of that year, Sarah started Lightbulb.Coach. A coaching service set out to help shape the futures of young people in school and beyond. In today’s episode Sarah talks about her journey as a business owner, speaks about what coaching is and the power it can have, gives her advice to the parents of young people who may be struggling and sh...

Elaine Arthur of QA Vehicle Solutions in a conversation with Brenda Hector  shares her experiences and insights on overcoming gender barriers in the automotive industry, creating a supportive work environment, and networking for business success. Elaine discussed her personal journey, the importance of treating staff like family, and emphasized the value of collaboration, networking, and learning from mistakes. The conversation highlighted the challenges and opportunities in the industry and the importance of building relationships and trust.

Brenda Hector and Denise Pitot of The ActionCOACH Foundation discuss the importance of instilling an entrepreneurial mindset in young people and nurturing their business ownership skills. They emphasize the need for access to childcare, funding, and visibility for female entrepreneurs, as well as the value of ActionCOACHes in helping owners become proficient at the operational aspect of their businesses. They also discuss the challenges facing female entrepreneurs in male-dominated environments and the importance of educating young people about entrepreneurship. The speakers emphasize the need for more women in business to encourage economic growth and add value to the UK...

"If this won't matter in 5 years, don't spend long on it now" great advice from the founder of Planner Bee VA Services 

Maya Vertigans always knew that her fate was to be a business owner so she started straight out of university. In this episode, she talks to Brenda Hector of ActionCOACH about her journey and shares the message she would give to her 18-year-old self "Worry less and trust yourself, everything will work out"