<![CDATA[Making It. My Business.]]>Ever gone from feeling like an absolute CEO to wondering what on earth you were thinking — in about five seconds flat? Same. You're in the right place.

Making It. My Business. is the podcast where female founders get properly honest about what it's really like to build a business as a woman. The highs, the lows, the juggling act, and all the unspoken bits in between that everyone's going through but nobody's talking about.

Real conversations. Real founders. No highlight reel.

Hosted by Heather — founder of Salt & Chalk Studio, brand and website designer for female founders, and firm believer that building a business is one of the wildest rides you'll ever take.

New episodes coming soon. Come and find me on Instagram @saltandchalkstudio and at saltandchalk.co.uk

]]>www.saltandchalk.co.ukRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Mon, 26 Oct 2026 11:28:31 GMTWed, 07 Oct 2026 05:06:37 GMT60Heather Leary<p>Ever gone from feeling like an absolute CEO to wondering what on earth you were thinking — in about five seconds flat? Same. You're in the right place.</p><p>Making It. My Business. is the podcast where female founders get properly honest about what it's really like to build a business as a woman. The highs, the lows, the juggling act, and all the unspoken bits in between that everyone's going through but nobody's talking about.</p><p>Real conversations. Real founders. No highlight reel.</p><p>Hosted by Heather — founder of Salt &amp; Chalk Studio, brand and website designer for female founders, and firm believer that building a business is one of the wildest rides you'll ever take.</p><p>New episodes coming soon. Come and find me on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/saltandchalkstudio/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">@saltandchalkstudio</a> and at <a href="https://www.saltandchalk.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">saltandchalk.co.uk</a></p>episodicHeather Learyhello@saltandchalk.co.ukno<![CDATA[Ep 3: Nicola Joyce — Team Niche, Playing The Long Game & No Regrets]]>Nicola Joyce has been freelancing in some form since 2004. That’s a lot of dry spells, platform changes, difficult clients, and hard-won lessons — and she’s still here, still going, still sea swimming before most of us have had our first coffee!

But getting here wasn’t always steady.

In this episode Nicola shares the honest story of building a niche copywriting business in the fitness and wellness world — the divorce that forced her to rebuild from scratch, the months when every lead stalled at once, and why specialising in one industry turned out to be her biggest strength.

We talk about pricing yourself, proactive outreach, the Sunday planning ritual that keeps her sane, and why getting in the right rooms still matters even after two decades of freelancing.

Whether you’re just starting out or years into the juggle, this one is full of the kind of honest, practical encouragement you won’t find in a business book.

In this episode:

  • From journalism to copywriting — Nicola’s winding path
  • Why she’s firmly team niche (and why it works)
  • Divorce, relocation and rebuilding income on her own
  • The months when every lead went quiet — and what she did next
  • Systems, Sunday planning and staying organised as a freelancer
  • Sea swimming, lifting and why sport keeps the business alive

Making It. My Business. is hosted by Heather, founder of Salt & Chalk Studio. Find me on Instagram @saltandchalkstudio

Nicola Joyce - The Fit Writer
nicolajoyce.co.uk
LinkedIn | Insta

Oh and find Kiera the dog at https://www.instagram.com/bigbulldogbestie/

]]>6bf8ac76-2eea-4c09-a421-cc5ede77efe2Wed, 21 Oct 2026 08:23:42 GMT<p>Nicola Joyce has been freelancing in some form since 2004. That’s a lot of dry spells, platform changes, difficult clients, and hard-won lessons — and she’s still here, still going, still sea swimming before most of us have had our first coffee!</p><p>But getting here wasn’t always steady.</p><p>In this episode Nicola shares the honest story of building a niche copywriting business in the fitness and wellness world — the divorce that forced her to rebuild from scratch, the months when every lead stalled at once, and why specialising in one industry turned out to be her biggest strength.</p><p>We talk about pricing yourself, proactive outreach, the Sunday planning ritual that keeps her sane, and why getting in the right rooms still matters even after two decades of freelancing.</p><p>Whether you’re just starting out or years into the juggle, this one is full of the kind of honest, practical encouragement you won’t find in a business book.</p><p><b><strong>In this episode:</strong></b></p><ul><li>From journalism to copywriting — Nicola’s winding path</li><li>Why she’s firmly team niche (and why it works)</li><li>Divorce, relocation and rebuilding income on her own</li><li>The months when every lead went quiet — and what she did next</li><li>Systems, Sunday planning and staying organised as a freelancer</li><li>Sea swimming, lifting and why sport keeps the business alive</li></ul><p><i><em>Making It. My Business. is hosted by Heather, founder of </em></i><a href="https://www.saltandchalk.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><i><em>Salt &amp; Chalk Studio.</em></i></a><i><em> Find me on Instagram </em></i><a href="https://www.instagram.com/saltandchalkstudio/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><i><em>@saltandchalkstudio</em></i></a></p><p>Nicola Joyce - The Fit Writer<br /><a href="https://nicolajoyce.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">nicolajoyce.co.uk</a><br /><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolajoyce/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">LinkedIn</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thefitwriter/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Insta</a></p><p>Oh and find Kiera the dog at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bigbulldogbestie/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/bigbulldogbestie/</a></p>no01:05:5213Ep 3: Nicola Joyce — Team Niche, Playing The Long Game & No Regretsfull<![CDATA[Ep 2: The 3am Idea — Jade Rideout on Bali, Burnout and Building The Soulful Marketing Co]]>Jade Rideout knew she wanted to run her own business from the age of five. Getting there took a few detours — five years in agencies, a London role that looked great on paper and fell apart in ten weeks, and a six-month reset in Bali that changed everything.

But getting there was absolutely worth it.

In this episode Jade shares the honest story of building The Soulful Marketing Co — the burnout, the self-doubt, the 3am business name revelation, and why she believes marketing should feel good for everyone involved.

We talk about pricing, self-worth, the loneliness of freelance life, and why getting in the room — even when it feels audacious — changes everything.

Whether you’re questioning your corporate path or knee deep in the freelance juggle, this one will make you feel a lot less alone.

In this episode:

  • From agency life to freelancing — Jade’s winding path
  • Leaving a job after 10 weeks with no plan B
  • The Bali reset and the 3am idea that became her business name
  • Pricing, self-worth and why she ditched hourly billing
  • Networking, connection and rising by lifting others
  • Redefining success on your own terms

Making It. My Business. is hosted by Heather, founder of Salt & Chalk Studio. Find me on Instagram @saltandchalkstudio.

]]>https://www.saltandchalk.co.uk/making-it-my-business-podcast3a107890-cc29-4392-9a3d-1953e6fe34ccWed, 14 Oct 2026 07:05:21 GMT<p>Jade Rideout knew she wanted to run her own business from the age of five. Getting there took a few detours — five years in agencies, a London role that looked great on paper and fell apart in ten weeks, and a six-month reset in Bali that changed everything.</p><p>But getting there was absolutely worth it.</p><p>In this episode Jade shares the honest story of building <a href="https://thesoulfulmarketingco.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The Soulful Marketing Co</a> — the burnout, the self-doubt, the 3am business name revelation, and why she believes marketing should feel good for everyone involved.</p><p>We talk about pricing, self-worth, the loneliness of freelance life, and why getting in the room — even when it feels audacious — changes everything.</p><p>Whether you’re questioning your corporate path or knee deep in the freelance juggle, this one will make you feel a lot less alone.</p><p><b><strong>In this episode:</strong></b></p><ul><li>From agency life to freelancing — Jade’s winding path</li><li>Leaving a job after 10 weeks with no plan B</li><li>The Bali reset and the 3am idea that became her business name</li><li>Pricing, self-worth and why she ditched hourly billing</li><li>Networking, connection and rising by lifting others</li><li>Redefining success on your own terms</li></ul><p><i><em>Making It. My Business. is hosted by Heather, founder of </em></i><a href="https://www.saltandchalk.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><i><em>Salt &amp; Chalk Studio</em></i></a><i><em>. Find me on Instagram </em></i><a href="https://www.instagram.com/saltandchalkstudio/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><i><em>@saltandchalkstudio</em></i>.</a></p>no01:01:2612Ep 2: The 3am Idea — Jade Rideout on Bali, Burnout and Building The Soulful Marketing Cofull<![CDATA[Ep 1: Georgie Davies — She Swapped Fast Fashion for Slow Living]]>Georgie swapped the fast pace of the fashion industry for something altogether slower — and built YogiPod, a brand making beautiful, handmade yoga props with a real lifestyle ethos behind them.

But getting there wasn't exactly zen.

In this episode Georgie shares the honest story of how she got here — the corporate burnout, the leap, the challenges of running a lean, niche business almost entirely on her own, and why slowing down turned out to be the whole point.

We talk about the power of storytelling, building a community from scratch, the reality of handmade and small-scale production, and how face-to-face events changed everything for her business.

Whether you're just starting out or knee deep in the juggle, there's something in this one for you.

In this episode:

  • From fashion to yoga props — Georgie's journey
  • The burnout that changed everything
  • Building a brand around slow, handmade production
  • Community, word of mouth and why events matter
  • Managing growth without losing your mind

Making It. My Business. is hosted by Heather, founder of Salt & Chalk Studio. Find me on Instagram @saltandchalkstudio

]]>cefc7f2f-dc90-4d39-8f7f-c49c2a321980Wed, 07 Oct 2026 05:12:28 GMT<p>Georgie swapped the fast pace of the fashion industry for something altogether slower — and built <a href="https://yogipod.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">YogiPod</a>, a brand making beautiful, handmade yoga props with a real lifestyle ethos behind them.</p><p>But getting there wasn't exactly zen.</p><p>In this episode Georgie shares the honest story of how she got here — the corporate burnout, the leap, the challenges of running a lean, niche business almost entirely on her own, and why slowing down turned out to be the whole point.</p><p>We talk about the power of storytelling, building a community from scratch, the reality of handmade and small-scale production, and how face-to-face events changed everything for her business.</p><p>Whether you're just starting out or knee deep in the juggle, there's something in this one for you.</p><p><b><strong>In this episode:</strong></b></p><ul><li>From fashion to yoga props — Georgie's journey</li><li>The burnout that changed everything</li><li>Building a brand around slow, handmade production</li><li>Community, word of mouth and why events matter</li><li>Managing growth without losing your mind</li></ul><p><i><em>Making It. My Business. is hosted by Heather, founder of </em></i><a href="https://www.saltandchalk.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><i><em>Salt &amp; Chalk Studio</em></i></a><i><em>. Find me on Instagram </em></i><a href="https://www.instagram.com/saltandchalkstudio/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><i><em>@saltandchalkstudio</em></i></a></p>no00:51:0511Ep 1: Georgie Davies — She Swapped Fast Fashion for Slow Livingfull