The AMotherBrand Podcast

Why I'm making massive changes in my business (& feel good about it)In this episode I'm sharing big news - that I'm closing the AMotherBrand Membership at the end of this month.I'm going to go into why I actually feel good about it (despite having worked on this idea since 2016!), how Positive Psychology helps me reframe everything, what made me make a sudden (or was it?) decision and what I'm doing next.Here are some highlights:[1:02] Why I'm not as sad as people worried I might be[1:52] The Storyboard technique for resilience and seeing positive ways forward[4:38] Why I decided to close the Membership and emailed the members the next day[6:48] What I'm doing nextDuring the episode I mention a number of resources:* MUST-READ book: The One Thing: The Surprisingly SImple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results with Gary Keller & Jay Papasan* My new website: NonieWhite.com - sign up to my new newsletter to stay in touch with me and across what I get up to next * New instagram profile: @noniewhite_ - come follow me so you can stay in touchCome work with me:I'm currently taking on new 1:1 clients - if you're ready to step into your power as a founder or conscious leader, you're ready to do the work required to get there and you think we'd be a good fit, DM me on either Insta account with COACHING and I'd love to chat! ❤️I'll be back before you know it - please hit subscribe so you hear when you can listen next,Huge thanks for all of your support until now,Nonie x

How often do you realise that you're getting in your own way? How often do you *wish* you had a magic wand you could wave that would stop you from feeling like an imposter or stop you before you get distracted, rather than completing the task that is really going to move your business forward?When you become an entrepreneur you soon realise that your mind can be your most supportive cheerleader and also your biggest foe. Mindset is the root of all success ... and all failures.In this week's episode I talk to CBT-Therapist and Mindset guru, Clare Flaxen. Clare works with ambitious women who are aware that they're getting tripped up by their mindset and want to move from stuck, to unstoppable. Clare shares with us her career journey, what we mean when we talk about 'mindset', how she supports her own mindset for success and what her top tips are for looking after your mindset as a busy entrepreneur. Highlights include:[05:53] The existential crisis moment when Clare questioned whether there was more to life than being a mum[10:44] Why so many people give up in the early stage of running a business[15:11] What 'CBT' or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is[23:50] Clare's top tips for developing your mindset for success[28:57] How so many of us subtly self-sabotage when success feels a bit scary[39:39] - How Clare looks after her well-being and mindsetIf you'd like to know more about Clare and her work find her at:https://clareflaxen.com/Instagram: @clareflaxenI hope you enjoy my interview with Clare. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Today I'm bringing you AM AMAZING EPISODE! It's highlights from some of the interviews I've done with inspirational female founders over the past two series. What's been super interesting for me is lots of the women say the same things, time and time again. I wanted to explore the themes that come up with you. These superstar founders must be on to something!I was rereading The One Thing by Gary Keller with Jay Pappas and the other day (which FYI, is totally worth reading if you haven't read it already). The section of the book I was reading was all about how, if you want to achieve big things, you have to start off with a big vision in mind from the beginning, but also how it's vital to learn from those who are further ahead from us. It was spot on for this podcast, Gary Keller writes, 'Big thoughts go nowhere without bold action. Once you’ve asked a big question, pause to imagine wha life looks like with the answer. If you still can’t imagine it, go study people who have already achieved it. What are the models, systems, habits and relationships of other people who have found the answer? As much as we’d like to believe we’re all different, what consistently works for others will almost always work for us.’So that's what I've set out to do in this podcast - to pull out some of the super useful bits of advice and shared sentiments expressed by numerous of my amazing guests, with the hope they'll work for us!I hope you love this podcast as much as I loved compiling it. I'm such a huge fan of these women and so grateful for their time and wisdom.Now I was a bit sad that i couldn't include ALLLL my amazing guests in one podcast but I did include the themes that came up time and time again.Listen this week to hear top tips from * Saasha Celestial-One Co-Founder & COO @olio.app* Shaa Wasmund MBE, Serial entrepreneur @shaawasmund* Dr Maryhan, Child Psychology & Parenting Coach https://drmaryhan.com/* Lynsey Pollard, Founder @littleboxofbooks* Helen Burgess, Founder @littlecooksco* Marieke Syed, Founder @snackzilla_ukIn the episode we cover:[01:49] The importance of starting small and iterating[02:50] Always be building trust[04:21] How to deal with (inevitable) doubts[09:01] Why we're terrible at comparing ourselves to others and how we feel better[13:12] Why it's so easy to take everything personally and how making a conscious effort to look after your mindset helps[20:43] The value of a peer network[23:27] Top tips for making the juggle easierI hope you love this podcast as much as I loved compiling it. I'm such a huge fan of these women and so grateful for their time and wisdom. I was sad that I couldn't fit everyone in one episode, but I'd really encourage you to go back and spend some time in the company of all the female founders I've interviewed so far. They've all got very different backgrounds and businesses, but they all have hugely impactful experience and advice to share. Personally, I've learned a huge amount from all these amazing women already and I hope that you find their words and experiences useful too. DM me on Instagram or email me and let me know what you think of the episode and which bits resonated with you most. I'd love to hear your top takeaways!* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The other day a friend told me she's wasn't actually sure what Positive Psychology was. She asked if it was the same thing as Positive Parenting. It's not! In that moment I realised that I assume, just because I am obsessed with it, that everyone else also now knows how brilliant Positive Psychology is and how incredibly helpful it can be if you apply it to your life as a busy entrepreneur. Of course not everyone does know this - in fact most people don't. So in this episode I'm sharing what Positive Psychology actually is, what I mean when I refer to wellbeing (here's a clue: it's not green smoothies or yoga) and how we can apply the principles of the PERMA Theory of wellbeing to our lives and working weeks, to feel better and to get better results.I also explore why we don't HAVE to have all the key ingredients of wellbeing wrapped up neatly in our ideal dream businesses, we can infact find the core building blocks of wellbeing in other areas of our lives.Listen to catch these episode highlights:​[1.18] Why well-being doesn't have much to do with bubble baths[5.00] Why the second wave of Positive Psychology isn't all about happiness[8.17] The theory that helps us work out what human flourishing actually is[12:11] How and where you can get into a flow state[16:58] It's not always possible to have your dream business - then what?[22:20] What we need to insert into our weeks for greater well-beingTake the free VIA Strengths test here: https://www.viacharacter.org/* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

• How ambitious is the vision for your business? • Is it so big that your partner is willing to change their work to support it? • Can you tempt one of the largest brands in your market to invest £250k in your vision?
Today’s podcast interviewee, Marieke Syed, is a purpose-driven entrepreneur with a seriously inspirational vision for her business, Snackzilla.When Marieke’s kids were too old for healthy toddler snacks, they began to ask for unhealthy adult snacks… and she spotted a gap in the market.4 years on, Marieke is on a mission to beat childhood obesity and give the UK’s biggest snack brands a run for their money with her lower sugar healthy snack brand for children, Snackzilla.It is exciting times for Marieke right now with her business going from strength to strength. Having worked on her own for 4 years, she’s now just secured £250k investment and the support from the UK’s largest bakery brand, Warbuton’s, is able to take on a team and is about to launch on Ocado.SNACKZILLA is proud to support the Change4Life campaign – their cookies have got 50% less sugar than most biscuits, they’re 
wholegrain oats, high in fibre and vegan, with no artificial sweeteners, colours, flavourings or preservatives.Listen to this interview to learn exactly how Marieke created and grew her brand Snackzilla, what she’s learned along the way and her top pieces of advice for anyone who wants to start their own food business.
We cover:[6:55] It was always going to be a big brand[10:25] How Marieke raised her initial £75k with the SEIS scheme
[14:11] Why Marieke kept on tweaking the product again and again for years[16:00] The different decisions around purpose that Marieke had to make[20:21] What keeps Marieke sane[28:29] How Marieke got her husband on board[33:37] Marieke's top tips for anyone wanting to set up a food businessI hope you find my interview with Marieke as inspiring and fascinating as I did! 

Do ping me back and let me know your thoughts, I'd love to hear.Learn more about Snackzilla here:https://www.snackzilla.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/snackzilla_uk/https://www.facebook.com/SNACKZILLAUK/* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Shaa Wasmund MBE is on her 5th 7-figure business. She’s an entrepreneur driven to help more people learn how to create generational wealth for their families. She’s also a shining example of how we can build businesses to suit the life we want to have – Shaa famously takes the whole summer off so she can send quality time with her son. I've been in Shaa's world for the last few years now and I'm a massive fan. Shaa’s a passionate support of women in business and I love speaking to her because she’s real deal – she says it like it is and shares her truth with no holds barred.  My favourite type of podcast guest!In this weeks' podcast we cover A LOT.  Get ready for a long and juicy one!Shaa explains everything from why it took her so long to own who she serves best, why so many female entrepreneurs are held back (and what they can do about it), as well as how vital it is to build your email list and so much more.We cover:[18:28] Why it took her so long to own who she serves best[24:35] Who the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs is today [25:20] How women become less relevant after 40 (and the shocking reason that why half ofthem take a career break)[27:35] What holds women back and what we need to address[33:25] What women need to do to thrive[34:53] How Shaa deals with doubts[44:05] Why social media is rented ground – and how to build your listI hope you enjoy my interview with Shaa. Please do let me know what resonates - DM me on Insta @amotherbrand as I'd love to hear from you!If you’d like to download her freebie ‘How to build a small but mighty list’ here: https://shaa.clickfunnels.com/optin1638971502092You can find Shaa at:Website: Shaa.comInsta/facebook: @shaawasmund* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Show notesBuilding a business is the biggest roller coaster.  Until you start to build one you have no idea how psychologically challenging it can be. There are highs and epic lows, and sometimes both in the same day.I was reflecting on why coaching is so helpful the other day, particularly for entrepreneurs. It’s because what we are doing means that the rate at which we come up against our own limitations is much more frequent than the average employed person. Most days we’re learning something new, challenging ourselves and making ourselves vulnerable as we try to make progress.  It doesn’t always work, we make mistakes, pick ourselves up, learn from them and go again.  We also frequently find ourselves recognising patterns of behaviour that hold us back and have to work out ways of overcoming them. It’s hard! We live with a never-ending cycle of growth and in order to get to growth, mistakes and learnings. Sometimes we have to make mistakes ourselves but at other times we can avoid them, by learning from other people who’ve made them before us. In this week's podcast I'm sharing more mistakes I have made along my entrepreneurial journey so far. Hopefully sharing my mistakes will stop you having to make them too, or at least reassure you that you're not alone in making them! 

These are common mistakes that are SUPER easy to make, yet make life much easier and more effective if avoided.Listen to this podcast to hear:
[2:00] - Why who we spend time with impacts our business[03:03] - What the Lean Start-up method and a Minimum Viable Product is and why you need to create one (and not be like me)[06:10] – Why perfectionism kills progress[08:55] – Why if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there[09:28] – The secret to creating money-making lead magnets Perhaps you've made some of these mistakes before? Or you're still in the thick of making them/ What resonates with you? What did you find most helpful? I'd love to know!* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

There’s this great quote I love by Maya Angelou, that goes:‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.’You’ve got to make mistakes in order to learn what you’ve got to improve, in order to do better. If you never made mistakes you’d never know HOW you were doing some things right! Old perfectionist me used to hate making mistakes but now, I know better. As a recovering perfectionist, I immediately reframe the situation and mine it for the positive. What can I learn from this? How can I do this differently next time? How will I make sure I don't make the same mistake again?I’m not ashamed of the myriad business mistakes I’ve made – they’ve all been great learning experiences and they also give me something useful to share with other people!I’ve always loved sharing my mistakes with the hope that others can avoid being frustrated by making the same ones – wedding planning, expectations around first children, first, second business… you name it, I love to share where I've gone wrong so hopefully you can avoid it.So in this week's podcast episode I’m going deep and sharing my four top learnings from the early days of starting up a company.We cover:[02:35] – How I nearly lost a friendship because of my business[05:31] – Why it was bad that a succession of big-hearted men wanted to help me [07:53] - The 3 simple reasons your business can fail[11:57]– How it's never about you.Perhaps you've made some of these mistakes before? Or you're still in the thick of making them/ What resonates with you? What did you find most helpful? I'd love to know!* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Subscription boxes are everywhere now and they’re a total win:win – as a business owner you get reliable monthly recurring revenue and as a customer you get to look forward to a regular delivery of something wonderful.But how do you start one up and how do you make it profitable?

This week I’m delighted to be talking to Helen Burgess, Founder of Little Cooks Co. - a subscription box business that supplies families with fun, tasty and nutritious cooking kits each month.  

Helen quit her job in strategy at No.10 whilst on maternity leave to follow her passion and retrain in nutrition. Once qualified she knew she wanted to start a business but had no idea how she was going to do it. It took a while to face her fear of failure head on, but within two years she was sending out 500 boxes a month, with no marketing spend. Soon after Helen got investment . She now sends out 5000 boxes a month and has 9 members of staff all working flexibly around their families.Listen to this podcast to hear Helen’s journey and how she’s managed to create this success, as well as her key recommendations for starting up and growing a subscription box business. I hope you enjoy my interview with Helen Burgess.We cover:[04:20] – Pushing on, even when it feels like your heart is breaking: How Helen overcame her lifelong fear of failure to set up her business[16:29] – How surrounding herself with like-minded people has helped her flourish[24:29] - How all of Helen's team make work work for them[26:26]– How Helen got her first 500 subscribers with zero marketing spend[29:00] - Why you've got to nurture your intuition and allow it to drive things[38:20] – Top tips for starting up a subscription businessTo find out more about Little Cooks Co:Website: https://littlecooksco.co.uk/Insta / Facebook: @littlecooksco* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Episode 15: 'The Business Saved Me': Purpose, Positivity & Planners with Finn PrevettIf you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while you’ll know I believe that the secret to building a sustainable business around your busy life is your wellbeing. Your business will only work as well as you do!A key part of wellbeing is channelling your purpose in life and spending time doing something that has meaning for you. That’s why I’m so excited to share the story of today’s interviewee, Finn Prevett. 

Finn and her co-founder Ali McDowall both experienced mental health challenges when they became mothers and out of those challenges, they created The Positive Planner. It was a product that they wanted and needed in their lives and through creating it, they created both tools to support their own mental health but also found they had a new purpose in life, to change the conversation around mental health and to help as many other people as possible with The Positive Planner.In this interview Finn shares that although many people thought it was a terrible idea for her to start up a second business, when she was already had one, plus she had a new baby and mental health challenges – in fact the now flourishing business and the community that she and Ali created, saved her. Other highlights include:[9:48]: How their business started with an Instagram community[15:32]: Do your best and learn what you need to learn as you go along[24:33]: Why keeping it simple is the answer to effective self-care[31:58]: Why you don't want to bring to life too many ideas at once What did you think of this episode? What resonated with you? Please do let me know - leave me a comment or DM me on Insta, I'd love to hear. Connect with Finn & the Positive Planner community:https://www.thepositiveplanners.comhttps://www.instagram.com/the_positive_planner/https://www.facebook.com/thepositiveplanner/https://twitter.com/the_pp_journal* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Episode 14: Meeting Your Best Possible SelfMaybe this resonates with you but everyone I'm speaking to at the moment has a refreshing sense of hope for 2022. They feel like this is the year when we’ll emerge from the challenges of the past two and step into the light of clarity and alignment, to be our best selves!When I talk to the AMotherBrand Community or my coaching clients, there’s a real sense of re-evaluating what’s serving them now, what isn’t and how they can create greater life satisfaction in the year ahead.Having balance and satisfaction across the different elements of your life is core to wellbeing. The core belief of AMotherBrand is that we can only create a sustainable business around our busy lives and a life we love, if we prioritise our wellbeing.With this in mind, in today’s episode I am sharing an evidence-based Positive Psychology exercise called ‘Best Possible Self.’ This is a) an enjoyable (and short) exercise b) incredibly supportive in terms of clarifying who you want to be and what you’d like your life to be like and c) super effective in helping you get closer to that vision. In this episode I explain the science behind how this exercise helps us, how visualisation works and how we can do this exercise for maximum benefit. Listen to catch these highlights:3.43 – Why we’ve got to transcend our past to create our future5:20 - Why nurturing optimism helps us succeed7:12 - How mentally rehearsing what we want to happen changes things10:23 - How your creative subsconscious helps you generate ideas to achieve your goalDo let me know how you find it - I'd love to hear from you! DM me on Insta - @amotherbrand - and let me know what you learned and what you learned about yourself. Prioritising your wellbeing – by making sure your life is as you’d truly like it to  - is the most effective way to build a sustainable business around your busy life. Having optimum wellbeing is going to make you feel great and do great work, without the fear of burning out.If you'd like to do a further deep dive into how satisfied you are in the different areas of your life, I've created an in depth free self-coaching package all round a coaching exercise called The Wheel of Life. It's a quick tool to get a snapshot of your levels of life satisfaction now and work out how you'd like to improve it.
Download this coaching pack to: * Discover how balanced your life is today* Work out where you’d like to improve that balance* Create SMART goals that will improve your levels of life satisfaction in the areas that matter most to you.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Episode 13: Who do you need to be to get what you want?In this episode I am sharing one simple exercise - that has the capacity to change how you think about everything you want to do.  Sounds sensationalist but genuinely, I believe it’s a game changer that you’re going to want to keep on coming back to.As we adjust pace and to the vast year of possibility ahead of us, I’ve been spending some time checking in with myself, who I am today, what I want to do and how I can get it done.I’m fortunate in that as well as the Founder of AMotherBrand, I’m also a Coach (currently in training for ICF certification) and so I have access to a whole bunch of insightful coaching models and tools. We can’t all work regularly with a coach (although I highly recommend it if you can, it’s so powerful) but we can all spend a bit of time increasing our self-awareness, to move forwards.Whenever I create the time and space to think and go deep with coaching exercises, the results are always hugely impactful. I’m yet to do one that hasn’t given me a little breakthrough or a really empowering & validating sense of having yourself reflected back to you.  'That’s ME!' My soul shouts, doing a little dance of joy to see itself reflected so clearly. In this week’s episode I want to share with you this really simple coaching exercise - 'BE DO HAVE' – which will help you get clear on what you want to do, how you’re going to do it and what that means for you. Show notes 02:27 – A brain that has a problem usually has the solution to it  04:25 - Why we need to flip our default thinking round 07:41 – We need to change who we are being, to get different results 08:16 – How we can use the BE DO HAVE model to examine one specific goal 10:24 – How to work out what your goals are right now, which are the most important and how you’re going to achieve them * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Have you planned your head ahead already? Do you feel confident you’ve made plans that you’re going to be able to deliver upon?  If you’re anything like me you’ve probably got previous experience of spending AGES crafting intricate plans for the year ahead. You might also have experience of these plans staying current and engaging … for a week or two and then falling out of favour and never being looked at again. Research shows that goals are not much use if you don’t also plan how you’re going to reach them, the actual steps you need to take to execute them. However, even if you do spend ages mapping out HOW you’ll reach them (been there, done that) you can also fail to reach your goals if they’re not the *right* goals for you. So – if you’re anything like me, perhaps you’d like to try something different this year.  We only have one life and we want to make sure that we live the life that we want to have.   AMotherBrand is all about using Positive Psychology to help us lead the most fulfilling and joyful life possible, so in this episode I’m going to share three things to help you plan your aligned goals for 2022 and then three things to help you actually achieve them!   Show notes 02:10 - What feeling do you want MORE of next year?  06:06 - Why 5-year plans can overwhelm us 07:53 - How we can use our strengths to enjoy ourselves and make the greatest progress 11: 33 - The importance of building optimism 12:44 - Are obstacles really in your way?   LINKS  Take a free scientific survey to discover your signature character strengths: https://www.viacharacter.org/  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Well hello and welcome to this episode of The AMotherBrand Podcast.   As we approach the end of one year and beginning of the next - I have a question for you – where is your business going? What’s the big goal you’re working towards?   Today’s interviewee has such an interesting response to this. As her business is focused on making huge positive social impact, her main goal is the world changing so much that her business is no longer needed.    In this weeks’ episode I’m interviewing a friend and inspiration, the wonderful Lynsey Pollard, Founder of Little Box of Books.   Little Box of Books is a business dedicated to changing the world so that our children read more representative and diverse books. I’ve been a very happy subscriber for some years now and it was such a pleasure to chat to Lynsey about how her business came about, how she’s used her strengths and skills in PR to build its profile, the disciplines that Lynsey relies upon to keep her mindset strong and her people pleasing under control, and how she’s learned to balance business and family.  I hope that you enjoy my interview with Lynsey Pollard.   Highlights from this episode: 02:18 - How being a single mum revealed Lynsey’s purpose. 12:18 – How Lynsey used her PR background to behave like her new business was a big news story and got great PR as a result 15:26 – Why finding the good you can do and embedding right it from the start is good for society but also for business 28:30 – Why people-pleasing will ruin your business 33:07 – The discipline that helps Lynsey maintain a positive mindset 38:21 – Lynsey’s top tip for building a business around your family   Connect with Lynsey: Website: https://littleboxofbooks.co.uk/ Connect with Little Box of Books on social media: https://www.instagram.com/littleboxofbooks/ https://www.facebook.com/LittleBoBooks/ https://twitter.com/littlebobooks   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Do you ever suffer from Mum guilt? Or from comparing yourself to other mothers and feel like you ‘should’ be doing something differently? Do you worry that your work is negatively affecting your children? Or that not working is negatively affecting them? In today’s interview I’m talking to the brilliant Dr Maryhan, an experienced psychologist and parenting expert, as well as a mother of two. For over 15 years she has been supporting children, teens, and young adults struggling with low confidence and anxiety – as well as their parents and care givers. Dr Maryhan’s podcast is in the top 5 for Parenting in the UK – she’s on a mission to make as much of a difference to as many children’s lives as she can. In our chat Dr Maryhan shares her unique perspective on what screws up our kids, the approach she’s taken to building a successful business around her children (and her top tips for doing it), why self-care is child-care, how we should scrap mum guilt (and what we should replace it with) and her top tips for growing your business, whilst being a present mum to well-balanced, happy children.   Here are the highlights: 05:37 – One simple thing we can do to look after our children’s mental health  11:28 – The activity that will help you care LESS about what other people are doing. 15:24 – Why we need to scrap mum guilt and what we should replace it with 24:50 – Dr Maryhan’s 3 top tips for building a business around your children (without screwing them up) 30:22 – Why & how Dr Maryhan has taken herself off social media  Connect with Dr Maryhan: Website: https://drmaryhan.com/ Shop: https://drmaryhan.com/shop/ Podcast: https://drmaryhan.com/podcast/ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

With the epic mental load and work load that predates Christmas, it’s way too easy to feel completely frazzled by the time the 25th December comes around. Let’s face it, given the year / years we’ve just had, we’re even more at risk of collapsing in a heap, exhausted and burned out, just at the moment when we want to start enjoying ourselves! Feeling burned out is not our fault, but we can do something about it. In this episode I take you through a simple 5 step process to help you create the Christmas you want to have. Follow the five steps to create a fail-safe plan for the festive period. We tackle overcoming overwhelm, how to get clear on your priorities (and say no), how to have great wellbeing during this intense period, plus how to get your work done in time – so we can create the Christmas that we truly want and deserve. Here are the highlights: 02:39 – Addressing the overwhelm. 04:24 - How do you want to feel this Christmas? 07:57 – Why saying no benefits our children. 09:17 – Making an anti-burnout plan 14:02 – How to make sure we create the Christmas we want to have * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Five years ago Ruth Kudzi decided it was time to permanently leave her senior leadership role in education. Like so many of us Ruth had had to make a tough decision: the career she’d worked so hard in, or her young family. Ruth chose her family and started working full-time as a Coach. Fast forward to now, after building a very strong coaching business and reputation, Ruth now runs Optimus Coach Academy, a million-pound business that she loves, that has already trained 100s of coaches to become accredited with the International Coaching Federation. She also manages to do pick up, drop off and exercise every day!  In this interview we talk about how short-sighted it is to overlook the wellbeing of families, ways in which we can stop the ‘not good enough’ negative chatter and why it’s so important to surround yourself with the right support network and go all in.    Here are the highlights: 08:51 - How Ruth started out as a coach  13:46 – Why the overnight success narrative isn’t true  16:00 – Why we need to take radical responsibility for everything  25:58 – How Ruth still has mindset wobbles every day, despite doing the work  36:22 – How Ruth prioritises what is most important to her and encourages her team to do the same  40:41 – Ruth’s top tips for growing a business around your family       Connect with Ruth & Optimus:  https://www.instagram.com/optimuscoachacademy/   https://www.facebook.com/Optimuscoachacademy   https://www.facebook.com/Optimuscoachacademy  https://www.instagram.com/ruthkudzi/  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Saasha Celestial-One is the Co-Founder & COO of OLIO, the food-sharing app. When Saasha & Tessa Clarke (her Co-Founder) both became mothers they decided they wanted to found a socially impactful business together that would work around their families. A chance discussion around food waste and how frustrated Tessa had found herself when unable to give away some spare food before she went on holiday, sparked the idea for fighting food waste with the app OLIO.   OLIO is now the #1 free sharing app that allows users to give and get free stuff, fight waste and save the planet whilst helping neighbours within their community.  I loved this chat with Saasha because not only is she a truly inspirational entrepreneur (she and Tessa just raised a $43 million Series B round to help more people fight waste globally), also does all of this around her family and her wellbeing. Tessa does the same - they've created and model the working world that works for them.  Listen to this chat to hear: [07:34] Why it’s important to start small & completely imperfect [17:10] How you should always be building your network [26:15] How she deals with mindset wobbles  [32:30] Why you should wear motherhood as a badge of honour & work with people with the same values [40:19] Top tips for dealing with business when your personal life is challenging   Connect with OLIO: WebsiteInstagramFacebook  Watch OLIO’S new TV advert – Let's not waste our wonderful world * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Having an appropriate network is often quoted as one of the key barriers that holds female entrepreneurs back from success, but when you’re a mother, largely based at home, it’s even more of a challenge to find one. In this episode I share some of the science behind why we need other people to feel good, to do good work and to succeed. We look at why having a larger network of positive connections with other people makes life feel easier, makes us happier and makes us more likely to live long and succeed in life!  I also interview some inspirational female founders about why being part of a community of like-minded women helps them make progress in their life and business. Here are the highlights from this episode:{4:57} As business owners we need to surround ourselves with like-minded people {6:24} Our perception of the world changes based on the inclusion of other people{8:26} The height of your potential is predicted by the people who surround you{13:52} Having a best friend at work means you're more likely to do better at work{15:12} Why The AMotherBrand Membership was createdThis episode celebrates the importance of building a strong supportive network for your wellbeing and for your success. It also celebrates the opening of the doors of The AMotherBrand Membership! The Membership only opens its doors a few times a year, so we can spend the rest of the time heads down, focused on supporting our members to succeed and flourish. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Building a business around your family is GREAT… you get the freedom to be the mother you want to be and do the work you love, however, whenever and wherever you choose. That said, it’s also really hard at times.  There are always certain times when the life / work juggle gets more intense – whether that’s holidays, when kids are sick or when your personal life suddenly needs more of your attention than usual. Life happens and our resilience is tested. In this episode I’m going to be pulling out bits of easy Positive Psychology that we can turn to when we need a bit of extra support to help us through a challenging patch.   Here are the highlights from this episode: {2:00} Optimism is a core strength of entrepreneurs {7:12} Nurture your resilience {8:19} Your wellbeing is like rowing a boat {11:40} Saying no in the short and long term  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In this episode I’m going to talk about happiness – what it is, what it isn’t and how we can get more of it every day!  We may have grown up with a ‘hustle harder’ attitude to work but I’m going to share research that argues that working harder is not always the quickest route to success. In fact, we need to spend more time doing things that make us feel good, in order to do good work.  In this episode I’m going to share 3 easy ways that we can use Positive Psychology to increase the levels of happiness in our daily lives and in so doing, increase our chances of fulfilling our potential.      Here are the highlights from this episode:  {1:05} We want to feel good and do great work... and we can! {03:53} How positive emotions create an upward spiral {06:50} The meta-strategy for happiness {10:37} Elongating the good stuff {12:41} Adults need time to play too {15:42} The positivity playlist   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Come follow me over at https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As mothers we have 9 million things to do and think about all at the same time. We’re pulled in a million and one directions. Throw a business dream into the mix and your To Do list can quickly spiral into overwhelm. It’s hard.   In this episode we’re looking at the practicalities of making our business fit around our busy lives in a way that supports our wellbeing and our dreams.   Being intentional with how we spend our time is vital. I’m going to walk you through the ways I’ve found to help steer through the insanity, to get super organised with batch-thinking and batch-planning and to keep your eye firmly on the essentials.  Here are the highlights from this episode: {0:45} It’s tricky as mothers {3:08} What are your role, and how do you satisfy them? {7:26} Plan, plan and plan some more {10:29} The joy of batch thinking {13:45} The 80/20 rule    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Come follow me over at https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It’s said that success is 80% mindset and 20% execution, so in this episode, we are going to look at your mindset, what it is and why it’s so crucial to our success. We’re going to look at how our levels of wellbeing affect our mindset and what we can do about it and how we can cultivate a ‘Growth mindset’. Finally, I’m going to walk you through three simple things you can do in your everyday life that are going to help you build and maintain a strong, positive mindset, to support you in building your dream business around your family and thriving.   Here are the highlights from this episode: {1:06} Mindset is a BIG deal {3:30} Building a growth mindset {6:49} Failure is an opportunity to learn {8:26} Our natural negativity bias {11:42} The upward spiral of positivity * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Come follow me over at https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

How do you create the joyful life and fulfilling work you desire? Often when I talk to mothers they share that that they’re not sure what they should  - or could - be doing with their lives. They’re not sure what the right business would be for them, because they don’t actually know WHO they are anymore.  In this episode, we’re going to look at who you are - what your passions are, what your strengths are and what your purpose might be. I’m going to talk through a step-by-step process to work out the ideal business for you – one that lights you up, that feels aligned with your values, that plays to your strengths & that brings you joy and fulfilment.   Here are the highlights from this episode: {00:35} Being a mum is part of you, not the whole you {4:47} What are your signature strengths? {9:56} Eudaimonic happiness {12:42} Channel your purpose through your business  Click here for the VIA free scientific survey to discover your character strengths.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Update: AMotherBrand closed its doors in March 2023. I now help purpose-driven female entrepreneurs to create maximum impact alongside maximum wellbeing, through 1:1 coaching. I combine my experience as a Founder, with my background in Social Entrepreneurship, Positive Psychology and ICF-Certified Coaching to help ambitious women create the flourishing life and meaningful work that they desire. Head to https://noniewhite.com to find out more. Social links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonie-m-c-white/Insta / facebook: @noniewhite_* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Welcome to The AMotherBrand Podcast. I’m Nonie White, former TV producer/director turned mother and entrepreneur. This podcast exists to empower more women to know that you don’t have to choose between being the mother you want to be and doing work that you love. You can do both, by building a business around your family.  I’m not going to sugar-coat it, starting-up and growing a business around your family isn’t easy but being in control of how you spend your life and what work you do, when and where, is 100% worth it. This podcast is all about helping you embrace a new way of working, one that considers you as a whole person and prioritises your wellbeing, to help you feel good, do great work and thrive.  I’ll be sharing tips about how you can apply the Science of wellbeing to help you flourish in life and work, as well as interviewing incredible female founders about how they’ve successful built their businesses around their families.  Listen to and follow this show wherever you get your podcasts, and remember to share so other mums can find us too!