Barbara Ayisi cold-called The Langham, sent seven follow-up emails and landed her first ever brand shoot at one of London's most prestigious hotels. On persistence, preparation and how to approach a luxury venue with a proposal they cannot say no to.

Travel retail gives brands access to millions of international consumers every year. But it works very differently from traditional retail. Yvonne Airey on commercial readiness, margin expectations and how to approach the channel strategically.

Shannon was one of 2,225 female founders who contributed to The Rise Report 2026. On loneliness, the funding gap, what success actually means and why 78% of founders say human connection is the whole point.

Healthy eating does not need to be complicated, especially when you are busy. Award winning Registered Nutritionist Lucy Jones on the six simple habits that actually fit into a founder's life.

From choosing the right event to interacting with strangers, Hannah Capocci-Hunt on what product founders need to know before their first market stall and what the experience teaches you that nothing else can.

Sophie Neall changed the Good Kynd recipe 70 times, turned down an investor who offered everything they needed, and launched a vegan oat iced chai brand while figuring it out as she went. On building something real without knowing what you're doing.

Many high-performing women do everything “right” and still feel something is missing. In this powerful essay, Sloane explains the cultural “default track” shaping women’s lives and why stepping off it can change everything.

Carla Pooran spent years on Harley Street before building her own boutique skin clinic in Colchester — and then a second business for women navigating skin changes in midlife. On twenty years of experience, launching during a pandemic, and why she'd rather educate than overwhelm.

We're living through a trust recession. The gap between what people say and what they do has widened — and audiences are exhausted by the performance. Danielle Thompson on what they actually want instead.

Charlie Terry, Founder of CEEK Marketing, analyses TALA’s £2.6m operating loss, Grace Beverley’s strategy and the wider debate around founder-led UK brand profitability.

After 18 years in a marriage that quietly eroded her confidence, Emily Keltz had to rebuild herself from the inside out. On why reinvention after divorce isn't starting over — it's starting informed.

Ellie Johnson introduced three operating principles that changed how she runs her business — and how she shows up in it. On discipline, balance and organisation as the foundations of sustainable growth.

Being yourself is a start — but it's not a strategy. Marketing strategist Giada Nizzoli on what high-ticket clients actually need to see before they trust you with their money.

Burnout isn't a skills problem. Organisational consultant Claudia De Silva on containment — the capacity rooted in psychoanalytic theory that every leader needs and almost nobody is taught.

Self-employed women aren't entitled to nothing when pregnant — but the support on offer is explained poorly. On Maternity Allowance, Keeping in Touch days and what to prepare for financially.

A stunning portfolio tells you what a designer can create. It doesn't tell you how they work, how they communicate or whether they'll truly understand your business. Lucy Hoddinott on the questions worth asking before you sign anything.

Claudia Stephenson has hired across creative, technology and events for years. On why degree requirements are shrinking the talent pool — and what businesses gain when they widen the aperture.

Veena Giridhar Gopal has worked across four countries, six functions and three decades before arriving at the question: what would it look like to build something of my own? On the career audit practice that has guided every major move.

After 25 years working with brain-injured patients, Natalie Mackenzie can't treat her own brain as expendable. On cognitive load, delegation, rest and why the strategies that once carried her through eventually stopped working.

She spent years treating her creative, idea-driven brain as something to manage and suppress. Then she stopped — and her business grew faster than it ever had. Danielle Thompson on creativity as a business input, not a personality flaw.