Conversations of Inspiration

Do businesses have a responsibility to be a force for good in society, or do they exist solely to make profit? COOK is one of a growing number of B corps in the UK: businesses that are committed to being a force for good in society. In this episode of Conversations of Inspiration, Holly sits down with COOK’s co-founder Edward Perry to hear how he took the idea for COOK from his mother's homemade cooking and grew it into the successful company it is today. They also talk about how to find your business's values, creating and maintaining a positive company culture, and how the smallest details can make the biggest difference. A must listen for those seeking the recipe for success when it comes to building a successful and ethical business.Find out more about B corps: https://bcorporation.uk/Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? It's worth following Holly Tucker MBE and Holly & Co on Instagram, and subscribing to our weekly newsletter on our website, where Holly downloads her thoughts, and exclusively shares small business finds and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

This week Holly is joined by Steve Wheen, The Pothole Gardener. A creative and artist who set out to bring happiness to the every day by creating miniature gardens in potholes across the country. What started as a side project, went on to become a viral sensation. Together they discuss how sometimes its the smallest things which make the biggest impact, the importance of creativity and the beauty in finding the right collaborations.Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? It's worth following Holly Tucker MBE and Holly & Co on Instagram, and subscribing to our weekly newsletter on our website, where Holly downloads her thoughts, and exclusively shares small business finds and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

This week Holly is joined by Pip Jamieson, founder of The Dots, a networking website which has been dubbed Linkedin for creative professionals. Together they talk about their experiences as women in business, diversity in all its forms, dyslexia, and how creativity could be the key to surviving in an automated future..Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? It's worth following Holly Tucker MBE and Holly & Co on Instagram, and subscribing to our weekly newsletter on our website, where Holly downloads her thoughts, and exclusively shares small business finds and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

Since launching as a menswear catalogue in 1991, Boden has grown to become synonymous with a colourful and creative spirit, which founder Johnnie Boden personifies. Holly visited Johnnie, now creative director of the company, in Boden's London offices to hear about what led him to start Boden, finding creative fulfilment, and a very special letter (not to be missed) to his younger self at the end. Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? It's worth following Holly Tucker MBE and Holly & Co on Instagram, and subscribing to our weekly newsletter on our website, where Holly downloads her thoughts, and exclusively shares small business finds and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

In a world where bad news dominates our headlines, Emily Coxhead created The Happy Newspaper: a newspaper which only shines a light on good news.Since starting with £500 raised through Kickstarter and handing out copies in care homes and hospitals, Emily has grown the Happy News into something quite magical. Holly sat down with Emily on her sofa to talk about how not only Richard Branson is one of her greatest fans but also, how feeling low helped her come up with the idea in the first place. The strains of starting a business as a graduate and how she has turned her idea into more than just a newspaper. Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? It's worth following Holly Tucker MBE and Holly & Co on Instagram, and subscribing to our weekly newsletter on our website, where Holly downloads her thoughts, and exclusively shares small business finds and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

This week, Holly heads to Andy Poplar's studio space near Leeds. In this incredibly honest and at times emotional conversation, Andy sheds light on why he left his city job to fulfil his creative dreams. The company he started, Vinegar & Brown Paper, has gone from strength to strength, and is a masterclass in how to build a brand with authenticity.Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? It's worth following Holly Tucker MBE and Holly & Co on Instagram, and subscribing to our weekly newsletter on our website, where Holly downloads her thoughts, and exclusively shares small business finds and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

This week, Jo Malone CBE talks to Holly in the offices of Jo Loves about entrepreneurial spirit, finding the 'heart' of a business, fostering the next generation of SME's, and much more. One of the UK's best known entrepreneurs, this conversation is full of wisdom you only learn after travelling the seas of building iconic brands.Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? It's worth following Holly Tucker MBE and Holly & Co on Instagram, and subscribing to our weekly newsletter on our website, where Holly downloads her thoughts, and exclusively shares small business finds and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

In this episode, Holly welcomes Molly Gunn, founder of Selfish Mother and The FMLY Store. Selfish Mother began life as a blogzine after Molly left her 9-5 as a fashion journalist, which grew with the success of the 'Mother' Tee in 2014. These tees have now raised almost £1M for charity. Holly sat down with Molly in her offices in Bruton in Somerset, to talk 'mumpreneurs', flexible working and raising money for charity. Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? It's worth following Holly Tucker MBE and Holly & Co on Instagram, and subscribing to our weekly newsletter on our website, where Holly downloads her thoughts, and exclusively shares small business finds and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

This week Holly visited Ella Mills in her kitchen to hear what Ella has learned from starting her wildly successful healthy eating company, Deliciously Ella.Since starting her Instagram blog in response to her illness, Ella has grown the Deliciously Ella brand to include 3 bestselling cookbooks, a deli based in central London, and her own range of health foods.Holly and Ella chatted about bringing a brand to life, the struggles of opening and running a physical space, working with people whose strengths complement your own, and much more!Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? It's worth following Holly Tucker MBE and Holly & Co on Instagram, and subscribing to our weekly newsletter on our website, where Holly downloads her thoughts, and exclusively shares small business finds and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.

For the first episode of Conversations of Inspiration, Holly travelled to Cambridge to have tea with Julie Deane OBE, to hear about the rollercoaster ride that was the meteoric rise of the Cambridge Satchel Company. Over the course of their conversation, Holly & Julie talked about the importance of a supportive family and what motivated Julie to start her business. Having incredibly learned to code in days, Julie had (and still has) a fierce ‘do it yourself’ attitude. They also delved into the difficulties of scaling a business and how companies change as they grow. With Julie referring to herself as ‘the female Walter Mitty’ - this interview is warm, witty and truly inspiring!Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? It's worth following Holly Tucker MBE and Holly & Co on Instagram, and subscribing to our weekly newsletter on our website, where Holly downloads her thoughts, and exclusively shares small business finds and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.