The Business Awards Show
by Debbie Gilbert
Welcome to the Business Awards Show, where weshare valuable information, secret nuggets, to get youraward entry noticed by the judges for all the right reasons. Our weekly episodes also feature inspirationalinterviews with winners, judges, and sponsors. So let's dive in and start your journey to award winning success.
Episodes
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Episode 222: From TV Awards to Business Awards with Erin Thomas Wong
Erin Thomas Wong started out in TV production and grew up in a world full of award ceremonies. She considers how business awards compare, and how to spot the ones worth entering. Erin, founder of A Life-Friendly Business, discusses moving from television production into eighteen years of running...
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Episode 221: The Problem With Photography Awards with Yolande De Vries
Yolande De Vries has won awards and knows the photography world well, yet she still has mixed feelings about its biggest competitions. Our latest episode reveals why. Debbie Gilbert talks to Yolande, an award winning personal brand photographer, about a career that began with a camera in Namibia....
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Episode 220: She's Seen Awards From All Sides: Judge, Finalist, Winner with Kitty Lai
Kitty Lai has won awards, been a finalist and sat on a judging panel. She tells us what each side taught her about business and her personal brand. Kitty, an award-winning branding and packaging designer and founder of Me Brand, talks about her journey from senior roles at Ted Baker and Cath...
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Episode 219: It Took 6 Years To Enter Awards, Then She Won Two! with Kayleigh Clover
Kayleigh Clover helped her clients win awards for years before she dared enter one herself. She tells the Business Awards Show what finally convinced her to have a go. Kayleigh, founder of Little White House Marketing, built an agency from her kitchen table during lockdown, developing it into a...
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Episode 218: The Awards Email That Validated Everything with Saira Mashru
Saira Mashru read her finalist email again and again, convinced it had to be spam. It was not, and it changed how she saw her business. It's inspiration for any aspiring young entrepreneur, as the women's nutrition coach reflects on winning Silver for Best Young Entrepreneur at the Best SME…
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Episode 217: My Awards Nightmare with Hayley Plumb
Hayley Plumb entered her first ever award full of excitement. What followed was a night she will never forget, for all the wrong reasons. Debbie Gilbert talks to Preston nail technician Hayley, founder of Nailed It by Hayley, about her first ever experience entering business awards. Hayley shares...
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Episode 216: Supporting the Next Generation of Award Winners with Rosie di Lecce
Rosie di Lecce has worked with global brands and budgets to match. However, what genuinely excites her is watching a small business win its first award. Rosie, founder of the award winning agency Saia Creative and sponsor of the Best New Business category at this year's Best Business Women…
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Episode 215: Winning the Award is Just the Beginning with Keely Armitt
Winning the award is easy compared to what happens next. Keely Armitt explains why so few businesses actually cash in on their win, and how to be one that does. Keely is founder of Keely Armitt Business Management, and discusses her journey from a career in sports management into becoming an...
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Episode 214: Of Course You Can Win an Award with Helen Kenworthy
Helen Kenworthy has spent thirty years telling people of course you can. She explains why she finally started believing it about her own award entries too. Helen, founder of Of Course You Can Coach, Education Selection Box, RYTC Creative CIC and co-founder of Give Get Go Education, reflects on...
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Episode 213: Finding Your Voice to Become an Award Winner with Helen von Dadelszen
Behind every credible award entry and engaging acceptance speech is someone who has learned how to communicate with impact. In this episode, Helen von Dadelszen shows us how. Helen is founder of Present Potential and author of 'Courageous Action', the ideal book for helping people communicate…
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Episode 212: The One-Of-A-Kind Networking That's Being Recognised by Awards with Pete Rhodes
Pete Rhodes never liked networking events, so he built one that actually works. And consequently, Meet for Good won the Gold Award for Best Networking Group at this year's Best SME Awards. Debbie Gilbert speaks to Pete, founder of All for Good and Meet for Good, about nearly twenty years in…
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Episode 211: Customer Service First, Awards Follow with Natalie Roukin and Jenna Stopforth
Natalie Roukin and Jenna Stopforth have never chased awards. Their priority was to make every client feel special, and the trophies followed. The founders of By Two Studio, an award-winning St Albans-based interior design business, share how they built a business founded on customer service…
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Episode 210: Why Award Wins Open Doors for Charities with Phoenix Humphreys
Grant funding can feel like a locked door, but in this episode we discover how a little recognition can be the key that opens it. Debbie Gilbert is joined by Phoenix Humphreys, founder of Raise to Rise, who helps charities and community organisations secure funding in an ethical and sustainable...
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Episode 209: Decoding the Art of the Award Entry with Rachel Hayward
Award entries are part CV, part pitch, and part confession. Rachel Hayward has spent over a decade helping businesses get all three right. Rachel Hayward, founder of Ask the Chameleon, speaks to Debbie Gilbert about starting her business, helping her clients successfully win grants, tenders, and...
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Episode 208: Why Customer Service Still Wins Awards with Ingrid Sanderson
Ingrid Sanderson didn't win Gold for Best Customer Service at the Best SME Awards by accident. She built her whole business around delighting customers. Debbie Gilbert talks to Ingrid, founder of Principal Business Travel to find out more. Ingrid explains why she set up her own agency in 1999…
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Episode 207: Still Winning Awards After 26 Years and Why it Matters with Vaishali Shah
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Episode 206: Why Some Awards Are Worth More Than Others with Cat Robson-Scarborough
Cat Robson-Scarborough picked up eight awards in her first year of business. But she is not afraid to say that not all awards are worthy of the title. Cat, co-founder of Your Man With a Van, joins Debbie to share how she went from retail leadership to building one of the UK's fastest growing...
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Episode 205: Fake Awards and the Magician Who Worked Out Their Tricks with Oli Couchman
Not every award is worth the trophy, and magician Oli, otherwise known as Revilo Twist, knows exactly which ones are full of smoke and mirrors. The award winning magician fell into magic after watching a stranger's rope trick aged fifteen and never looked back. In this episode Oli chats to Debbie...
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Episode 204: The Award-Winning School Delivering Animal Assisted Therapy on a Farm with Charlotte Williams
Ten years ago, Charlotte and her husband took out a mortgage on a derelict farm with no real money and no concrete plan beyond a hunch that animals could change lives. Thus, Elysian was born. Today, that farm supports over 400 young people across three sites, many of whom had stopped attending...
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Episode 203: It Took Over Twenty Years Before She Won Awards. Then She Won Five! with Natalie Burkinshaw
This week, Debbie talks to Natalie Burkinshaw, founder of Crush, a brand and design agency specialising in manufacturing, engineering and tech businesses. After over twenty years in the industry, beset by imposter syndrome, Natalie finally started entering awards in 2025. Within fourteen months...
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Episode 202: How a Banker Created an Award-Winning Property Business with Michelle McPherson
Learn How a Banker Created an Award-Winning Property Business with Michelle McPherson, founder and MD of Hyde and Rowe Property Agents. Michelle has spent over twenty years building a business that does far more than just sales and lettings. She has helped house over twenty thousand homeless...
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Episode 201: The Graphic Designer Who Won a Carer Award with Marie Louise O'Neill
Debbie Gilbert chats with The Graphic Designer Who Won a Carer Award with Marie Louise O'Neill, Canva expert and graphic designer. In this episode, Marie Louise talks about how small business owners can show up more professionally online without needing to be a design expert. Our guest stumbled...
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Episode 200: The 200th Business Awards Show - Special Edition!
The 200th Business Awards Show is here, and we couldn't be prouder to bring you this special episode. Debbie Gilbert, Founder of the Best Businesswomen Awards and The Best SME Awards, talks you through how to avoid being fooled by fake awards companies. There is a proliferation of them in the...
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Episode 199: How an Award Winning Photographer Became a Care Home Owner with Carmel Saulbrey
Discover How an Award Winning Photographer Became a Care Home Owner with Carmel Saulbrey, the owner of Niche Care Homes and founder of The Kindness Code. Carmel won Most Inspiring Businesswoman at the Best Business Women Awards back in 2019. However, she sold her award-winning school photography...
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Episode 198: From High-Powered Retail Manager to Award-Winning VA with Dionne Popplestone
Today we chart the journey From High-Powered Retail Manager to Award-Winning VA with Dionne Popplestone, founder of an award-winning virtual assistant agency. Dionne shares her journey from managing multi-million pound retail stores and a £50m shopping centre redevelopment, to setting up her VA...
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Episode 197: The Soul Aligned Life with Sophie Watson
Debbie Gilbert discusses The Soul Aligned Life with Sophie Watson, soul coach and regional director for the Athena Network in south west Oxfordshire. Sophie won a Silver award for Best Coach at the 2025 Best Business Women Awards. Her journey into coaching began when her world fell apart all at...
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Episode 196: Your Cat Deserves an Award-Winning Hotel Not a Cattery with Abi Purser
This week's Business Awards Show discusses why Your Cat Deserves an Award-Winning Hotel Not a Cattery with Abi Purser, founder of Longcroft Luxury Cat Hotel. An award-winning entrepreneur, Abi turned a frustrating search for somewhere premium to leave her rescue cat Norman into a nationwide...
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Episode 195: Tell a Better Story Through Brand Photography with Hetal Trivedi
Debbie Gilbert discusses how to Tell a Better Story Through Brand Photography with Hetal Trivedi, founder of The Beautiful Moments. Hetal is a strategic brand photographer and videographer working with female led businesses in health, wellness and beauty. She won three awards in a single month…
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Episode 194: Turning Pain into Purpose with Hayley Charlesworth
Turning Pain into Purpose with Hayley Charlesworth, is one of the most moving episodes of the Business Awards Show we've featured. Hayley is founder of Harry's Pals, a charity born from her own experience of being told, when her son Harry was just three days old, that he had suffered significant...
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Episode 193: Do NOT Let AI Build Your Website with Alison Rothwell
Our latest episode offers very clear advice: Do NOT Let AI Build Your Website, with Alison Rothwell. A digital strategist and founder of VA Website for You, Alison also picked up a Silver Award at the 2025 Best Businesswomen Awards. With nearly twenty years running her own business and a…
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Episode 192: Why Branding Needs a Good Story with Tejal Prajapati
In this episode, we discuss Why Branding Needs a Good Story with Tejal Prajapati, award winning branding consultant and founder of TP Creative. Tejal took home a Silver at the 2025 Best Businesswomen Awards. With sixteen years in the design industry before going it alone, Tejal now helps…
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Episode 191: Awards, Leadership, and the Power of Community with Griselda Togobo
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Episode 190: How a GP Became an Award-Winning Menopause Specialist with Dr Shilpa McQuillan
Debbie Gilbert discovers How a GP Became an Award-Winning Menopause Specialist with Dr Shilpa McQuillan, founder and clinical lead of the Berkshire Menopause Clinic. In our latest episode, this leading specialist discusses all things menopause. In addition she explains how she set up her own...
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Episode 189: The Award Winning Approach to Leading with Resilience with Skye Deane and Alex Webb
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Episode 188: How Branding Can Help Purpose-Led SMEs Shine with Maylene Seah
Discover How Branding Can Help Purpose-Led SMEs Shine with Maylene Seah, award-winning brand strategist, founder of Studio Noor Anisa, and winner of a Special Recognition Award at the 2025 Best Business Women Awards. Maylene's journey is a fascinating one, taking her from design agencies in…
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Episode 187: Fashion, Confidence, and Business Success with Catherine Grout
Debbie Gilbert hosts our latest conversation, Fashion, Confidence, and Business Success with Catherine Grout, personal stylist and colour confidence expert. Catherine is founder of style consultancy What I Am Wearing, winner of a Silver Award for Best New Business at the 2025 Best Business Women...
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Episode 186: Ensure Your Business is SEO Visible with Emily Williams
This week we help you Ensure Your Business is SEO Visible with Emily Williams, founder of Content Clever and silver winner at the 2025 Best Business Women Awards. She joins Debbie to talk all things content strategy, SEO, and why she's on a mission to help female-led businesses find their voice...
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Episode 185: Turning Tragedy into Transformation with Patricia Muirhead
Turning Tragedy into Transformation with Patricia Muirhead is a truly inspirational episode of the Business Awards Show. When Patricia lost her daughter Ashdon to suicide in 2014, she made a decision that would change hundreds of young lives — she channelled her grief into action. Consequently…
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Episode 184: The Rise of the Logolady with Trudie Avery
In this episode, host Debbie Gilbert traces the Rise of the Logolady with Trudie Avery, award-winning branding and design specialist. With over 25 years in graphic design, Trudie shares how she left an 11-year partnership to start afresh with just her Mac and lots of determination. She reveals…
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Episode 183: The Power of the Peer Group with John Acton
The Power of the Peer Group with John Acton, CEO of Peer2Peer, discusses his incredible journey from 30 years in corporate to becoming an award-winning business leader. John shares how he transformed DPD from fifth to first in Europe in its sector, before leaving to help other businesses develop...
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Episode 181: Coaching for Neurodivergents with Talia Zamora
Coaching for Neurodivergents with Talia Zamora discusses her journey building a coaching business that specializes in supporting neurodivergent entrepreneurs and families. Talia's Story After struggling to find flexible work that fit around her two autistic sons, Talia decided to start her own...
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Episode 180: Holiday Clubs with a Difference with Amy Cunningham
This week we discuss Holiday Clubs with a Difference with Amy Cunningham, founder of The Strings Club. Amy outlines how she built a successful childcare business centred around music and wellbeing. About The Strings Club Amy launched her business in 2012 after hosting a small holiday camp for six...
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Episode 182: Create Your Gameplan with Ceylan Boyce
Create Your Gameplan with Ceylan Boyce sees the return of the founder of the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs to talk about her live planning event in March. In this bonus episode of the Business Awards Show, Ceylan explains why planning is essential for business success. She shares why "winging…
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Episode 179: Transforming the World of Medical Diagnostics with Bronia Thomas
In this fascinating episode, we look at Transforming the World of Medical Diagnostics with Bronia Thomas, founder and CEO of Global Lab Expert Group (GLXG). The Genesis Story After experiencing burnout and chronic illness, Bronia found herself frustrated by the limitations of mainstream…
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Episode 178: How Awards Have Powered an Animator's Business with Emma Youell
How Awards Have Powered an Animator's Business with Emma Youell, investigates the rise of the creative force behind Emma Youell Design. In this edition of The Business Awards Show, we discuss Emma's rapid rise from freelancer to award-winning business owner. As an introduction, Emma shares her...
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Episode 177: How a Coach Can Transform Your Working Life with Kate Bishop
How a Coach Can Transform Your Working Life with Kate Bishop is the latest episode of the Business Awards Podcast. Kate shares her journey from burning out in the events industry to discovering coaching almost by accident. After attending a weekend coaching course on a colleague's recommendation...
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Episode 176: How a Qualified Marketing Expert Can Transform Your Business with Dee Blick
Join Debbie Gilbert from The Business Awards Show as we discover How a Qualified Marketing Expert Can Transform Your Business with Dee Blick. Dee is a multi-award-winning marketing expert, and author of six bestselling books. Crucially, she is one of only 3% of marketers globally to hold…
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Episode 175: Bringing Awards to The Isle of Man with Louise Wheeler
This week's Business Awards Show looks at Bringing Awards to the Isle of Man with Louise Wheeler, founder of L C Consultancy and the Elevate You Awards. Originally from Essex, Louise ended up in the Isle of Man almost by accident. In her words it was because she and her now husband were offered a...
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Episode 174: How to Win at Awards with Stephanie Brown
Join Debbie Gilbert from The Business Awards Show to find out How to Win at Awards with Stephanie Brown. Stef is an expert awards consultant with an impressive 88% success rate across 500+ award entries. She shares her unique journey from professional dancer in Montreal to becoming a sought-after...
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Episode 173: The Joy of Real Indian Food with Roshni Ray
The Joy of Real Indian Food is this week's brilliant discussion on the Business Awards Show. Founder of Tikka and Tadka, Roshni talks about her journey from NHS worker to award-winning Indian catering entrepreneur. Roshni's Journey: After years in the NHS, Roshni launched her authentic Indian...
About this show
Welcome to the Business Awards Show, where weshare valuable information, secret nuggets, to get youraward entry noticed by the judges for all the right reasons. Our weekly episodes also feature inspirationalinterviews with winners, judges, and sponsors. So let's dive in and start your journey to award winning success.
Hosted by
Debbie Gilbert
Categories