Style and Substance

Creating a Halo Effect with Your Brand

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Halo Effect is a powerful way to shape perception of your business and creates reputational momentum that can work wonders when its done well. Tod...

Understanding The Spring Seasonal Personality : Colour Psychology for Branding Part 1

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Spring has sprung and it brings with it an abundance of inspiration and insight for branding. In this episode we look at the season of Spring through ...

Powerful Messaging Without Resorting to AI

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We're not holding back in this episode - listen in to hear exactly what we think about the use of AI for brand messaging. What we see as the genuinel...

Finding Flow in your Business When the World is A Lot

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Flow state has the potential to supercharge productivity by 500%! But flow isn't just a nifty hustle hack, rooting your business in flow makes it more...

Taking Care: Thoughts on Resilience and Nervous System Regulation when Energy is Low

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Poor old Fi is distinctly under the weather this week so we took the opportunity to have a relaxed conversation about building resilience and nervous ...

From the Horses Mouth - Feng Shui Expert Zoe Vita James on Making the Most of the Year of the Fire Horse

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We are breaking with tradition for the last episode of the season and welcoming very special guest Zoe Vita James to the Podcast. Zoe is our resident ...

Are you Ready for the Year of the Horse?

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As we've crossed the threshold of Imbolc and into Celtic Spring here in the UK we can feel a definite shift. Fi and I are already getting into step wi...

The Essential Advantage Most Creatives Miss

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There's an edge so many creatives miss that helps us create sustainable, enjoyable and profitable businesses. In this episode we explore the importanc...

An Invitation to Let Go and Why it Matters for your Business

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Winter is the perfect season to reflect and release and not just because it's timely or happens to be on trend, but because it's an essential strategi...

Our Hopes for You this Year

14 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back and happy new year lovely listeners. We are making a gentle return to the podcast and welcoming 2026 in by sharing some of our hopes for ...

A Warm Invitation

07 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year lovely listeners! Before we launch back in with season 19 next week we are so excited to bring you this bonus episode and share a very ...

The Highs, The Lows, The Learnings and The Hopes - Review of 2025

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our traditional review of the year is here., this episode Fi and I get personal about the challenges of 2025, the highs and the hopes for next year. T...

How to Get a Brand that Works and that Lasts - Part Two

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In part two of how to get a brand that works and that lasts, we are digging deep into the steps of the process. Fi is sharing the fundamental principl...

How to Get a Brand that Works and that Lasts - Part 1

03 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Having a brand that works and that lasts really is something every brilliant business owner has the right to claim, but what does it take to get one? ...

Gratitude...An Essential Practice for Business - No Really

26 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, airing just before Thanksgiving in the US, we explore gratitude. More than a list of nice things or another self help task 'to-do, we...

The Existential Crisis Facing Creatives

19 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we crack open the existential crisis so many creatives are quietly drowning in: when your hard-won brilliance suddenly feels… irrel...

Letting Go ...Of Limitations

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we dive into the subtle and not-so-subtle ways, we hold ourselves back in business and life. From shrinking our brilliance without even rea...

Your Questions Answered and a Look Ahead to 2026

05 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back lovely listeners to a new season. As we hurtle towards the end of 2025, we’re kicking things off with a relaxed catch-up and your quest...

I Just Don't Want to be That Person ...

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever swallowed what you really want to say because you didn’t want to come across as that person? You know that feeling when perhaps you’...

Raising Expectations When We're Done Settling

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Raising Expectations When We're Done SettlingThere’s a moment in every woman’s business journey when something shifts and she realises she’s bee...

The Secrets to Feeling more Capable and Clear when there’s just Not Enough Time

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Secrets to Feeling More Capable and Clear When There’s Just Not Enough TimeHow is it October already?! Time feels slippery right now, and both o...

Glow up Your Website in a Morning

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Who does not love that feeling of looking at your website and going "oh yes! this is working for me and this is the nuts!" It's what we all want right...

Setting Boundaries and Starting as you Mean to Go On

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With four months left of 2025 are you prepped to make the most of it? We are, and in this episode we are sharing our priorities, our goals and our ex...

Connecting with your Ideal Client to Build a Sustainable Business - Listener Favourites

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Connecting with your ideal client to build a sustainable business. We're opening the new season with a listener favourite from the archives and our ve...

Setting Yourself Up for the Summer

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

our last episode of the season before the summer break and today Fi and I are talking about how set up for the summer. What this season is about for u...

50+ Things We've Learned from 50 Collective Years in Business

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Episode 100, wow can't quite believe we are here. In this milestone episode, Fiona and I are pulling back the curtain on our collective 50 ...

The Power of Aligment

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we dive deep into the power of alignment—not as a buzzword, but as a vital force for building an inspired, creative, and authentic ...

Reconciling Priorities - Managing the Tensions as Women in Business

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're unpacking the invisible load—those subtle, internal tensions that so many of us carry as women in business. From the emotional labou...

Is your Brand Pitching you at the Right Level? How to know...

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do you know if your brand is pitching you at the right level? How can you be sure not to miss the opportunities inherent in a branding process don...

AI or not AI? That is the Question

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's time we tackled the question on the lips of so many creatives in our field. Should we be using AI and what is it costing us if we do? In this jui...

Finding the Courage to Make the Big Decisions

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ever found yourself paralysed by the big decisions? Whether it's business or life in general, when big changes are afoot it can be a tricky time. Join...

What is Takes to Hold the Vision Amidst the Noise...and See it Through

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When you have an exciting vision or dreams for your business it can be incredibly exciting..but when seeing that vision through needs a marathon not a...

Exploring a Legacy - 10 Years on from How to Style your Brand

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We are in a celebratory mood as this week marks the ten year anniversary of Fi's bestselling book How to Style Your Brand and in this conversation we ...

Flow not Force in Action - Elizabeth Shares the Secrets to her Latest Creative Breakthrough

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We are excited to bring you this one, uncharacteristically Elizabeth is in the hot seat as Fi invites her to dig deep about her experiences with her l...

How to Spot what's Keeping your Brand Small and What to Do about it

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We are passionate about entrepreneurs and brands achieving their potential. There are so many factors that come into it, from from our attitudes and b...

How to Keep Moving Forwards when the World is Going Mad

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How to keep moving forwards when the world is going mad. There's no escaping the world is bonkers right now and that's putting it a little mildly, you...

How to Get What you Want with Integrity - Part Two

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Part two of getting what you want with integrity. Emotions and frustrations run high as we dig into a recent scenario that highlight beautifully what ...

How to Get What you Want with Integrity

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Getting what we want in business isn't always easy and dealing with unreasonable demands isn't a walk in the park either. In this two part mini series...

Bootstrapping your Brand - How to Create the Strongest Impression with your Brand, whatever your Budget.

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Let's be real. None of us have limitless budgets that allow us to do everything we'd like on our brand: we all have to make choices. But we ...

An International Womens Day Special

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode, created in honour of International Women's Day is a pulling together of just a glimmer of the wisdom held in our wonderful commu...

Claiming Our Rightful Place as Women in Business

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

International Womens Day is coming up this week so it feels timely to explore this topic of Claiming Our Rightful Place as Women in Business and what ...

We're Back With...Quick Fire Tips on Managing your Energy

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Phew...what a whirlwind the last few weeks has been and a hot topic for us both of late has been energy, how much do we have, how do we keep it high a...

International Women's Day - Call For Submissions

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

International Womens Day is coming up on 8th March and we want to create a celebratory showcase of all the wonderful female entrepreneurs in our incre...

Why Owning your Creative Identity is a Business Imperative...and How To Do It

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Creativity is the lifeblood of both of our businesses and we have both experienced the game changing impact for ourselves and our clients when we real...

The Myth of Passive Income - What does it really take to make a Fast Buck?

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

These days you can barely move for someone promising you a '7 figure income' while you sleep. But is it really the panacea it promises to be? Passive...

Niching into your Creative Style - Why it's a must and how to do it.

29 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do you run a creative business? Are you reaping the benefits of trading off your creative style? If not, we're here to convince you that its a great i...

What's Possible when your Branding Really Works

22 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back lovely listeners, in this episode we are talking all things branding and what becomes possible when you get your branding really working ...

Fi Finds Herself in an Impossible Dilemma...

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Just before Christmas Fi sound herself on the receiving end of an outrageous comment. With commercial and ethical decision to make and plenty of self ...

Getting your Hype Squad in Place for the New Year

08 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year Lovely Listeners, Were coming out of the gates in 2025 with what we hope will be a thoroughly uplifting and encouraging episode where w...

The Highs, the Lows, the Learnings and the Hopes - A Review of 2024

18 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the final episode of 2024 and in typical Style and Substance form we are reviewing our year. In this conversation we share our highs, lows,...

Studio Theia - The Story Behind the Brand

11 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are very excited to bring you todays episode as it coincides with the Launch of Fiona's new brand consultancy Studio Theia. The creation of Studio ...

Wintering - Why Embracing the Season of Withdrawal is a Business Essential

04 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Winter is here and in this episode we are exploring the benefits and the potentially scary territory of wintering in our businesses. What does it look...

Is your Brand Pulling it's Weight? - How to Tell and What to Do to Realise your Brands Full Potential

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is your brand puling it's weight? How do you know, what are you missing out on and what should you do about it?In this episode I'm picking Fi's brains...

The Value in Doing your Authentic Work

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The pursuit of truly meaningful and fulfilling work that puts our skills and talents at the heart might seem an indulgence that we don't always have t...

Lusting After Building a Luxury Brand? - Listen to this first!

13 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A luxury brand can be an utterly aspirational prospect for many, but is it the magic bullet it promises to be? If you want move into this space, there...

Introducing the Brand Catalyst Programme - A Reason to Celebrate

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Lovely listeners, we're dropping in between episodes this week because both of us are incredibly excited about Fi's new Brand Catalyst Programme and I...

The Dynamics of Collaboration - Avoiding the Pitfalls and Making Partnerships Work

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to season 12 and, after a post half term catch up sharing Fi's adventures in Rome and my recent challenge with mental health, we dig into...

Avoiding Stagnation in Business

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to Keep things Moving and Avoid Getting Stuck in a Rut.Welcome back lovely listeners to our last episode of the season before we head into the hal...

Renegotiating Boundaries Part 2

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Renegotiating Boundaries Part 2Handling Scope Creep, Pricing and When Partnerships Come to an EndWe're picking up where we left off form last week and...

Renegotiating Boundaries Part 1.

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Setting expectations and managing yourself and your clients when things need to shift. Boundaries are tricky to set and hold for many of us, but absol...

Brand, Business or Life Clarity...?

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back lovely listeners, today we are back and talking about one of our absolute favourite and essential topics CLARITY. We all need clarity, bu...

Menopause, Midlife and Are We Even Relevant Anymore?

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back lovely listeners, in this episode we are keeping it real and tackling the very present question for so many of us at our stage of midlife...

Back to Work, Back to Basics - Setting Yourself up to Thrive

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back lovely listeners to Season 11 and we are coming out of the gates today with an episode to tackle the steps to take to set yourself up for...

Summer Series Ep6. Hacks for Getting Re-inspired

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back lovely listeners to our last episode of the summer series and this week we are talking inspiration and getting out of our comfort zones. ...

Summer Series Ep5 Creating A Vitality Manifesto to keep you're Energy High

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back lovely listeners. We hope you are thoroughly enjoying the summer and taking your vitality in hand. This week your challenge is to Create ...

Summer Series Ep4. The Essential Vitality Review

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we are moving away from overwhelm (here's hoping) and focusing our attention on Vitality. Our absolute favourite topic as we both wholeheart...

Summer Series Ep3. Prioritising to Reduce Overwhelm

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Having created some space, hopefully turned down the noise a little, this week our short and sweet challenge is intended to help you sift through the ...

Summer Series Ep2. Turning Down The Noise.

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Week two of our bitesize summer series is here and this week we are taking steps to reduce the overwhelm that comes from too much noise. Noise creates...

Summer Series Ep1. Making Space

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 1 of our bitesize summer series is kicking off this week and in our challenge to take small manageable steps to help reduce everyday overwhelm...

Introducing Our New Summer Series: Six Weeks To Less Overwhelm And More Vitality

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to our summer series lovely listeners. We couldn't bear to be away for the whole summer so this week marks the start of our short summer serie...

How to Set Priorities in Times of Crisis and other Questions Answered

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this our final episode of season 10 we are digging in to some more questions from our lovely listeners, and there's some juicy ones. We explore the...

Finding your Creative Magic

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hello lovely listeners, in this penultimate episode of season 10 we are exploring the challenges of how to find your creative magic and the particular...

The Art of Discernment

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hello lovely listeners, we've been paying attention to what many of you are asking for at the moment and it feels like a lot of our community are grap...

Finding your Space

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week it's all about finding your space lovely listeners. That sweet spot in the market that when you find it opens up possibilities, reduces over...

Strategy, tactics and why to avoid a knee jerk approach to business growth

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hello lovely listeners, those of you who have been around for a while will know we are huge fans here of a strategic and well thought out approach to ...

Cultivating Self Belief

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back lovely listeners. Season 10 is kicking off with a juicy episode on the essential but often illusive ingredient for every entrepreneur, se...

Working on versus working in your business and putting your self out there when you're terrified,

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're back with the final episode of this season and more of your juicy questions answered. From how to split your time between working on your busine...

Using your Authentic Voice to Connect and Engage

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back lovely listeners to Part Two of our Finding your Authentic Voice mini series. In this conversation we dig a little deeper into how we can...

Your Questions Answered

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hello lovely listeners, this week we've thrown it over to you and are responding to the huge inpouring of questions from you all. It's a wide ranging ...

Finding your Authentic Voice part 1

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back lovely listeners to season 9. After a lovely long break we are opening this season with what we hope is a juicy two parter on the topic o...

What We've Learned

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Well here we are folks at the end of season 8 and before we head into a break we're dropping in for a review of the year so far. We reflect on the cha...

When the Answer to Conflict is Holding a Boundary

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a hot topic for so many entrepreneurs. When we get into conflict, or emotional situations arise in our business and our instinctive tendency i...

Taking Control of your Business

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

So often, particularly with a well established business, we can get into a mode where things feel like they are a little out of control. Whether that'...

Your Roadmap to a Show-stopping Brand

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I am excited to be sharing this week's conversation in which Fi and I walk through Fiona's Show-stopping Brand Roadmap. It's a really clear, strategic...

Flow not Force - creating more ease in business

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hello lovely listeners, as we move into spring it feels like the perfect timing for a conversation about flow. Why, along with vitality, adopting the ...

Design Fundamentals for Entrepreneurs

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

All design, good or otherwise, creates an impression. It affects our perceived credibility, opens up or closes down opportunities and influences the c...

Stories of self publishing part 2, taking a strategic value added approach

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back lovely listeners. In this second episode of our self publishing series (more to come next season) we take a gallop through varying aspect...

Behind the scenes of a best seller, stories of self publishing

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Fellow authors and publishers amongst you will know a book project is not for the feint hearted and producing a beautiful book for business is a labou...

Inspiration in the Dark

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back lovely listenersOn what is reputedly the most depressing day of the year we wanted to bring a little light, a juxtaposition to the gloom ...

Imposter Syndrome

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ever felt like a fraud in your own business, waiting for the other shoe to drop and for everyone to realise you're not as capable as they think? That ...

Getting Stuck into 2024

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back lovely listeners and Happy New Year.We're kicking of a New Year and. New Season with our thoughts on the vibe of this year, what we're co...

A moment of calm

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hello dear ones,As promised, if you need it over the coming days and weeks here's a few moments of guided calm for you to enjoy. Not advised to listen...

Reflecting on 2023

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Well lovely listeners we are finally here at the last episode of the 2023. What a year. Thank you so much for all your support of the podcast to date ...

Moments of Calm in the Madness

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join us for our penultimate episode of the year as we explore the intricacies of navigating the holiday season with a sense of calm amidst the inevita...

Copying, Competition and Treading on Toes

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Picture this: you've spent months, maybe even years, perfecting your unique product or service, pouring your heart and soul into every detail. Then, o...

The Power of Strategic Brand Positioning

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we explore the secrets of successful brand positioning and the power of creating a strong strategy. We look at how to set your brand a...

Navigating the Intricacies of Pricing

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join us as we discuss the fascinating world of pricing, its complexities and the challenges it poses for entrepreneurs. Navigating the world of contex...

The Dark Side of Entrepreneurship: income boasting, hustle culture and toxic sales tactics

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back lovely listeners and we are getting into the swing of season six with what we hope is a pretty dynamic episode. What if the hustle cultur...

Entrepreneurial Spirit

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back lovely listeners, season 6 is upon us and opening up this new season is our conversation about Entrepreneurial Spirit.Being an entreprene...

Q's and Reviews

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Well here it is folks, our final episode of season five before we break for half term and we hope you enjoy it. We've shaken up the format this week a...