Anyway, you may or may not have noticed/give a s**t that I did NOT in fact speak to Helen Morris last week (Tuesday 16th June), as stated in my last one of these posts. I can’t even tell you why now, but I can only assume I was contending with yet another migraine or fatigue/kid’s demands or something like that. I will endeavour to book Helen back in because I would really like to chat to her. ☺️

My Guest This Week

My ‘live’ chat this week was with the lovely Fliss Lee - Brand Coach and Strategist, and Founder of Honest Folk - “helping you bridge the gap between where you are now, and the next level of your business, whatever that looks like for you.”

“Honest Folk exists to demystify the world of “brand”, join the dots that are in your head, and help you lean into what makes you, ‘you’.”

I discovered Fliss through her online community - On Brand - “A space for creative business owners to regularly work on their business, with structure, support, and momentum behind you.”

What We Chatted About

* Breaking away from the “shoulds” when it comes to running our own businesses

* Why creative careers aren’t viewed and respected as “proper” jobs

* The importance of HUMAN creativity and the feelings behind our ideas/designs

* How Fliss went from corporate employment to running her own business

* The importance of community and connection with other creatives

* The value of the support and accountability within a community

* How working on your own can become very lonely and isolating

* Fliss’ experience and opinions of Substack so far (being relatively new here)

* Why sharing our “s**t bits” is so important in combating comparison

* The balance between your creativity and business being side-by-side

* Why trying new things isn’t a waste of time and doesn’t mean your failing

* How your branding needs to be fluid and grow with you and your business

* Some great ‘top tips’ from Fliss and why your ‘brand vision’ is key to your marketing messaging!

ChatStack ‘Live’ is Moving!

Yes, that’s right… ChatStack is moving house. Everything will be exactly the same and I will still post the replays (like this one) a day or two after the ‘live’ chat. But instead of being produced and shared through THIS Substack (created to house my writing), it will all happen from it’s NEW HOME - chatstacklive.substack.com

As with any move, it may take me a little while to transfer everything across, so I will continue to share the replays here too until the end of July. But then it will all be happening at ChatStack’s new home after that.

So, be sure to head over to ChatStack’s New Home and Subscribe over there to continue receiving the replays and invitations to the ‘lives’

Please Note

* ChatStack ‘Live’ is FREE and available to ALL

* Everyone is welcome to join/watch the ‘lives’

Subscribers

* Can join the conversation and post comments during the ‘lives’

* Will receive the invitations (and link) to the scheduled ‘lives’

* Will be sent these posts (the replays) directly to their inbox

Ok, that’s it for now…

Wish me luck with the move! 🫣

🎥 More replays of ChatStack ‘Live’ are HERE or HERE if you’re in the App

About Sophie

For those who don’t already know, Sophie is paving the way for “the knackered parents and neurodivergent business owners with buzzing brains and those who struggle to get out of bed some days, are burned out and overwhelmed.”

She helps people who’s body, brain or life was never build for the “traditional” 9-5. Me! 🙋🏻‍♀️😉 Sophie offers a calm and nurturing space through her Substack: ‘Finding Simple & Calm’

“A cosy forest retreat with space to breathe and just be. A gentle community for neurodivergent creative small business owners & mothers who want lived stories, strategies, tools & resources, and all the support to build a slow, sustainable business that's baggy enough to live in.”

Next Week

I’ll be back next week at the usual time of Tuesday at 1pm (BST) and my guest will be Helen Morris - who I’ve met a couple of times IN REAL LIFE! I know! 😉🤣 Last time we met was very recently at Amy I Beeson 🐝 ‘s latest Writer’s Meet Up in West London, which was of-course fabulous… Amy’s events always are! ✨🫶

Join myself and Helen next week for what I’m sure will be another very enjoyable ChatStack ‘Live’ - Tuesday 16th June at 1pm (BST)

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Until next time,

🎥 More replays of ChatStack ‘Live’ are HERE or HERE if you’re in the App

“Supporting small businesses to thrive in ways that feel realistic and aligned to where they want to go.”

I really enjoyed our chat and loved that Sophie was happy to roll with my relaxed, un-planned style. We certainly didn’t run out of things to say and I loved hearing Sophie’s perspectives on AI, creativity, the importance of human connections and input. As well as her refreshing take on Networking.

I first met Sophie whilst attending one of her lovely workshops - Networking Skills for Small Businesses - which I got so much from and do highly recommend. That particular workshop is next running in September (which will be here before we know it), but there are others before then.

Next Week

My guest next week will be Sophie Ingleby of ‘Finding Simple & Calm’ and we’ll be chatting about what happens to those of us who don’t fit the mould - “the knackered parents and neurodivergent business owners with buzzing brains and those who struggle to get out of bed some days, are burned out and overwhelmed.” - Erm… me, me and ME! 🙋🏻‍♀️🤣

Join us ‘Live’ - Friday 12th June - Time (TBC)

Thank you to Kate Darracott (Hi Kate 👋) and everyone else who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Until next time,

🎥 More replays of ChatStack ‘Live’ are HERE or HERE if you’re in the App

Lee writes about unlearning a lifetime of expectations, conditioning and rules. She helps people who want their work and lives to matter without losing themselves in the process.

I love the ethos and messaging around Lee’s coaching business and she has helped me personally (at the end of last year) to gain a LOT of clarity and insight. Particularly around my learned expectations, conditioned beliefs and all the ‘shoulds’ I carry with me.

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Until next time,

🎥 More replays of ChatStack ‘Live’ are HERE or HERE if you’re in the App

I even broke my own rules of the ChatStack model - minimal planning, a very loose structure and just a casual chat! Forgetting that Toni is someone I’ve had many chats with before and is a friend, who just happens to be publishing a book. Old anxiety and insecurity habits crept in and I went all silly and “star struck”. 🫣

Anyway, Toni was fab and I soon relaxed into it… even though my brain forgot how to form sentences at times and many, many words seemed to have disappeared entirely! Does anyone else get like that?

About My Guest

Toni Jones is a journalist turned bibliotherapist and the founder and editor of ‘The Shelf Help Clubhouse’ – The world’s first dedicated self-help book club - designed to support you in reading, reflecting and applying self-development.

Over the past 10 years, Toni has read over 1000 self-help books, interviewed hundreds of authors and wellbeing experts. Including Gretchen Rubin, Hal Elrod | Author + Speaker, Dr David Hamilton and Ella Mills (Deliciously Ella). All of which has now led to her to writing her debut book, YOU – “The Beginner’s Guide”.

‘YOU’ is a bite-size guide that distils the most valuable lessons from a decade spent immersed in the self-development space. Toni has developed a brilliant three-step framework – the Connected Self MethodTM - which features expert tools designed to help people get to know themselves better and support their journey towards Self-Discovery, Life Design, and Life Support.

“Self-help isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about getting to know yourself

and then designing a life that fits” – Toni

The Publishers

Publishing the book with The Pound Project felt like the right fit for Toni, as she values the ethos of the company. An independent publisher based in the UK, “putting writers and readers first”. Crowdfunding with one title at a time and making limited edition copies, only printing what they sell. As well as being environmentally friendly, the deliberate short-running campaign (3 weeks) enables them to work closely with individual writers and provide a dedicated service.

Remember, Toni’s book is only available from NOW until 26th May!

More From The Virtual Tour

Head to The YOU Virtual Book Tour HUB on Toni’s Substack Publication to view upcoming events, find out more about the book, the launch, and catch up on coverage of the tour so far. There have been some great conversations so far, with Rosamund Dean, Daisy Buchanan (my personal favourite), Josephine McGrail, Jo Hutton, Clarisse Monahan and Gabrielle Treanor.

Thank You

Thank you so much to everyone who tuned into ChatStack ‘Live’ and apologies for not managing to invite questions in the end… we just had too much to talk about! The time went too quickly but we managed to cover a lot of juicy topics during our time together.

Thank you Toni for being a fabulous guest and for supporting me through my wobbles and helping feel more at ease. 💛

Next Week

My guest next week will be Sophie Greenwood. An operations and planning expert, and Founder of Three Beams Thinking - “Turning Ideas into Action”.

Sophie works with small business owners to help them untangle ideas, create more structure and turn their scattered ideas into a focused, realistic plan. Offering a mix of online courses, group workshops and one-to-one mentoring.

“All designed to meet you where you are and help you move forward.”

I met Sophie during one of her brilliant virtual workshops - ‘Networking Skills for Small Businesses’ - which led to further conversations and sparked a big interest in me to find out more about what Sophie does and wanting to spread the word too! So, I reached out and asked Sophie to join me on ChatStack and she said yes!

Join me for my next ChatStack ‘Live’ - Tuesday 19th May - in the app.

Until Next Time,

🎥 More replays of ChatStack ‘Live’ are HERE or HERE if you’re in the App

P.s. If you stick around right to the end there’s a delightful “old person” f**k-up to enjoy, as I try to END the video! 🫣🤣

My Guest This Week

The lovely Allegra Chapman (she/her) kindly jumped in at very short notice and joined me on this week’s ‘Live’ chat - Thank you Allegra! 🙏🥰

Allegra is an author, columnist, former publishing editor and creative therapy practitioner. Her publication and membership on Substack is Creative Fix.

“A creative sanctuary, where you can discover ways to use writing, art and crafting for healing, self-expression and connection.”

What We Talked About

I really enjoyed my impromptu catch up with Allegra and we dived straight into lots of juicy topics such as, the importance of valuing our unpaid work, parenting and our creative pursuits. How hopping around from one project to another isn’t failure and how recognising that sometimes it’s the process we need and not the finished result.

I was interested to hear how Allegra discovered ways to develop her creative practice that supports her brain and nervous system and works WITH her needs, rather than constantly fighting against herself. How she went from “I can’t do this” to writing three books and making a living as a writer.

Her new book Divergent Creatives is out now - which Allegra describes as, “The guidance, reassurance and confidence boost I wish someone had given me 20 years ago.” Breaking down the limiting beliefs that our culture teaches us about creativity and differences. We discussed the importance of recognising and accepting how our brains work differently and the book includes practical tips on building a creative habit that actually works for you, instead of trying to follow someone else’s blueprint.

⭐️Bonus Content (not in the recording)

Working With Our Energy

We briefly talked about the importance of working with our energy and checking in with our capacity - being flexible, self-compassionate, kinder, not pushing ourselves too far and breaking the vicious cycle of burnout.

Which of-course led me to mention Selina Barker and her fabulous Journal ‘Time To Thrive’ ♥️ Which teaches us how to manage our energy - across the 5 different zones - and use the tools and techniques within the journal to reclaim your energy and build a life in which you can truly thrive!

How This Has Helped Me Personally

Over the past couple of weeks, whilst I’ve been going through a very challenging and emotional life event, I have felt so lifted and supported by the fabulous people in Selina Barker’s membership! This gave me the extra strength and motivation I needed to put into practice some of the fantastic tools I’ve learned from the Journal. It has enabled me to pause, notice and recognise which of my energy zones is depleted at any given time... even throughout the chaos and upheaval of such a big life event! 😬

I’ve been able to mindfully notice what specifically drains my energy and make more conscious and measured efforts to refuel that particular area of my wellbeing. This focused approach has helped me to stay connected to my body, prevented me from spiralling into overwhelm and enabled me to make better choices about where to expend my energy… AND to PROTECT that energy and value my overall wellbeing much more than I ever have in the past.

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

🎥 More replays of ChatStack ‘Live’ are HERE or HERE if you’re in the App

My Guest This Week

My dear friend Lisa Bolin 🌸 is a teacher, mother, mindfulness mentor and all-round fabulous human! She writes Flucking Flourishing on Substack – “a midlife revolution and the bookend to your teenage years, but with more wisdom, fewer flucks given and better beverages!”

I was very much enjoying catching up with Lisa Bolin 🌸 and hearing all about her move (in December 2025) to Australia after spending 8 years living in Finland. However, we then lost connection when Lisa’s phone decided to have a meltdown!! 😭 Unfortunately Lisa wasn’t able to re-join.

Carrying On Regardless

After a few brief moments of panic, I carried on rambling to myself for another 20 minutes! 🤪 Thank you so much to all those who stayed to listen to my (perhaps mildly insightful?) waffling! 🤣

In keeping with the true style of the show - Minimal planning, zero editing, embracing turning up as we are and learning as we go! Perhaps even capturing some golden nuggets as we go…

Go forth and wade through your s**t guys! 💩🤣

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Until next time,

🎥 More replays of ChatStack ‘Live’ are HERE or HERE if you’re in the App

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

See you next week!

🎥 More replays of ChatStack ‘Live’ are HERE or HERE if you’re in the App

What We Talked About

I’m going to make this brief just now, but might add to it at a later date.

It was great to catch up with Amber and hear about her story in more detail - Thank you Amber for sharing so openly and honestly about your experience of suffering for over 20 years with undiagnosed Migraine!

Amber has a wealth of knowledge and her experiences are fascinating to hear about. Her passion around helping to raise awareness of how debilitating migraine can be and supporting others in their journey towards healing is truly inspiring. If you’d like to find out more about Amber or her Substack, hit the link below.

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next ChatStack ‘Live’ - Tuesday 1pm (BST) - in the app. See you then! 🥰

Next Week

My guest next week will be writer and (awesome) coach Sarah Raad! 🤩

“I work with creative women who are tired of going around the same ideas, treading water, doubting themselves and not really getting what they want.

Often they feel stuck in overthinking, second-guessing themselves and the feeling of being “not quite ready yet.”

I hope you will be able to join us ‘Live’ on Tuesday 7th April at the usual time of 1pm. If not, you can always catch up with the recording (like this one) which I will usually send out by Wednesday afternoon.

Thanks for watching/listening! ♥️

🎥 More replays of ChatStack ‘Live’ are HERE or HERE if you’re in the App

What We Talked About

We discussed the importance of turning up ‘as you are’ and not worrying about trying to look or be ‘perfect’. The positive impact this can actually have on, not only our own wellbeing, but of others around us too.

We chatted about one of Selina’s expert topics - Burn out - and the ways we can prevent it happening, by focusing on the 5 key energy zones, which Selina outlines in her fantastic Journal - Time To Thrive. Perfectly timed (as these things often tend to be) as I was feeling really quite “flat” before our chat.

It really helped to boost my energy and “fill up my cup”. Reconfirming to me how important it is to turn up and catch up with a friend, even when you feel like crap and just want to hide away from the world. ❤️‍🩹

Our chat contains many ideas and tips on simple ways we can attend to our different energy zones, depending on our current needs…. and if you want to use the “Emotional Check In Tool” I mention in the chat, you can click HERE.

If you’d like to know more about Selina and the brilliant work she does as a Career and Life Design Coach, just click the link below.

Thank you Margaret Williams, MS, ACC, Shalagh Hogan, Emma Englefield, and many others for tuning into my live video with Selina Barker! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Next Week

My Guest next week will be Amber Horrox 🗝️Warrior Within

“Warrior Within was born from my own journey through chronic pain, deep soul initiation, and the eventual realisation that true healing isn’t found in one modality, prescription, or practice – it’s found within.”

You can read more about Amber and her Substack HERE.

I’m looking forward to catching up with Amber, since we initially met back in December 2024 and practiced podcasting together during Claire Venus ✨ ‘s ‘Perfectly Imperfect Podcasting’ course.

I hope you will be able to join us ‘Live’ on Tuesday 24th March at the usual time of 1pm. If not, you can always catch up with the recording (like this one) which I will usually send out by Wednesday afternoon.

Thanks for watching/listening! ♥️

🎥 More replays of ChatStack ‘Live’ are HERE or HERE if you’re in the App

You can find out more about Marisa, read her articles and learn more about the work she does with individuals to overcome their challenges and thrive in a system that wasn’t created for us to succeed.

Thank you Marisa Guthrie for being a delightful guest and helping me through my first ‘Live’ interview. Also to everyone who turned up and tuned in LIVE! A special shout out to whoever it was that sent the balloons - it was real boost! 🎈

Join me for my next live video in the app.

Next Week

My guest next week will be Author and Life Design Coach, Selina Barker! 🥰

I am super excited to chat to one of my absolute favourite people on Substack and someone I’ve been lucky enough to meet in person, at one of her wonderful workshops in London.

We will be discussing (among other things) the framework of her FABULOUS Time To Thrive Journal - The Five Energy Zones! Which just happens to be (😉) perfectly timed with her FREE Five Day Energy Reset - Which you can sign up to HERE.

It starts on Monday 23rd March - next week - and it is totally FREE! Selina will address one energy zone each day and help us to understand each one, how to spot if we are running low in that area and share simple, realistic ways to top it up.

Whether you sign up or not, I hope you will be able to join us ‘Live’ on Tuesday 24th March at the usual time of 1pm. If not, you can always catch up with the recording (like this one) which I will usually send out by Wednesday afternoon.

Thanks for watching/listening! ♥️

🎥 More replays of ChatStack ‘Live’ are HERE or HERE if you’re in the App