This week Holly speaks to artist and illustrator Veronica Dearly.  Veronica brings joy to the world with her smart, relatable, funny and very real illustrations, which she prints onto cards, gifts and shares daily, with her Instagram community.  Her well-timed, highly empathetic posts often go viral and are shared with thousands of people around the world - not bad for someone who didn’t have any conventional training, was a young mum and had started life as one of the shyest people she knew! In this episode, Veronica shares the ups and downs of her business journey so far as well as discussing how she uses her art to spread joy and political messages, as well as how she overcame the things that she found the most terrifying in business and life.  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 meets Tamara Lohan MBE, founder and CTO of Mr & Mrs Smith: a travel company that's grown from a single curated book of 35 hotels in 2002, to an online community of over 1.5 million members with offices in London, New York and LA. With the competition high and automation the current currency, Tamara explains what it's taken to grow a brand that focuses on the details.  In this meeting of minds, they discuss the early days of building Mr & Mrs Smith, what it's really like being a female tech founder and why curation is vital to future proofing of business. 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 meets Bill Collison, the founder of Bill’s restaurants. In this episode, Bill shares his journey from the very early days as a barrow boy all the way to taking on investment to grow the business into what it is today. As a Romany gypsy, Bill grew up planting and foraging, which helped fuel his love for fresh, seasonal produce. It was this love of fruit and vegetables which led Bill to work for a brief time as a chef, before going back to work for his dad. Together, they started selling local, seasonal produce in a small shop. With instinctive creativity, and an inherent eye for design, the shop become hugely successful. With a growing array of homemade pies and soups alongside his fruit and veg, Bill’s Saturday girl (and now wife!) convinced him to think bigger and open a cafe. The first Bills in Lewes went from strength to strength and five years later a second site opened in Brighton which found equal success. Bill’s is now a family of over 80 restaurants! Crediting its success to the team (or as he describes them, family) who shared the same vision, Bill shares his advice for small businesses starting out in the food industry today. As well as his view on the future of the high street (and how to survive). 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 meets Freddie Garland, founder of Freddie's Flowers. Fresh out of university, Freddie started work as one of Abel & Cole's delivery drivers. Cutting his teeth selling subscription models and having parents who were florists - Freddie spotted the potential for a floral subscription delivery service. With little knowledge of the mechanics of running a business based in subscriptions, Freddie set out on his journey to success. Despite a few hard learnt lessons along the way; an ill fated milk float serving as a delivery vehicle and some sourcing issues, Freddie's Flowers has gone from strength to strength. 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.

By her own admission "an accidental jeweller", Annoushka Ducas has built an empire that revolutionised the jewellery industry. Links of London was the first brand to bring personalised, well crafted and highly gift-able jewellery under one beautiful brand to the high street. Annoushka and her husband John launched Links of London in 1990 and built the brand over 15 years until they made the difficult decision to sell. Within 18 months Annoushka launched her second brand, Annoushka Jewellery.  In this episode, Annoushka discusses how her business got her through grief, the emotions after selling Links of London, and where her entrepreneurial spirit comes from. She shares her views on following trends and the future of the high street today.  A mother of 4 daughters, Annoushka has built both businesses on a philosophy of absolutely loving what she creates and designs jewellery for women to buy for themselves. It’s this attitude to female empowerment that also drives Annoushka through her other missions, including mentoring school programmes for girls, working with Give A Future and her role as a patron with the Prince's Trust 'Women Supporting Women' initiative. 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 meets Richard Reed CBE, co founder of Innocent and now co founder of JamJar Investments. The story of Innocent is a phenomenal one - simply built on 3 friends deciding at university they wanted to start a business together that allowed them to hang out everyday. They settled on smoothies as 'the product' (decided on a hangover!) and the entrepreneurial rollercoaster ensued. With numerous highs along the journey, as well as epic lows during the financial crisis, Richard shares his journey and lessons learned along the way. Today, Innocent is regarded as the front runner in creative marketing and breaking the mould by doing things just a bit differently. In 2013, Innocent was sold for a reported £320 million to Coca Cola! So what does an entrepreneur do the day after ‘making it’? Well, in Richard’s case, he started a new business! Emotional, honest and soulful, this conversation is a rare insight into Richards philosophy on business, his view on doing good in the world and the importance of thinking outside the box. 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.

You might not immediately know the name Dave Buonaguidi or be able to pronounce it, but he's truly one of a kind, and the ultimate pin-up in the world of advertising. He's made it his life's work to go against the grain and shake up the creative world. This straight talking, creative and expletive-ridden interview is one of life's one of a kind conversations! After many years in advertising, Dave set up St Lukes, the world's first advertising co-operative, which was ahead of its time. After leaving he became Creative Director at Channel 4, before founding the renowned ad agency Karmarama. Dave talks very frankly about his lessons along the way as well as his values when founding these companies (including his 'no wanker' policy!) He also talks about his latest company, knowing the end is coming and the excitement of working with small, passionate businesses making impact against the giants! 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 meets founders of F equals, Danielle and Natalie. As twins, they were natural co founders and, 4 years into building their business, are going from strength to strength as they find themselves in a political landscape which is crying out for a brand such as F equals. The company was founded when both sisters found themselves at a cross roads and decided to bring together their individual skills, expertise and belief, that women in business, were under represented. The F equals story is one of pure authenticity, with passion and purpose firmly at its heart. A content company first and foremost, they have also found celebrity fans who've worn their T-Shirts; from Holly Willoughby to Thandie Newton. In a conversation ranging from feminism, to social media, the power of a brand name and how to balance free content with running a profitable business, Danielle and Natalie share with Holly some of the biggest lessons they've learnt during the early years of building their business. 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 meets Zack - a phenomenally talented maker, who crafts lifelike and delicate birds by hand out of little more than paper and wood.  In his deeply personal conversation, Zack reveals why birds became his source of inspiration, the journey from struggling as a maker to the beginnings of becoming successful, and how ultimately his urge to create, set him free.  This episode is truly inspiring and Zack is a testament to the powerful belief that the combination of talent, craft and passion can set you to free to live a life, you finally love. 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 meets Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of LEON. Sharing his journey from gossip columnist and business consultant to restauranteur, Henry discusses the importance of being a founder with purpose. He talks about his huge ambition from day one at LEON to build as a global brand, as well as how to navigate the difficult transition that is being a founder exiting a business. With entrepreneurial spirit in his blood, Henry was never going to sit back after handing over the reins, and his passion to change the world continues to drive him in his new projects, which he discusses with Holly. Throughout this interview Henry’s sense of humour shines through - including his life changing advice from Zena the Warrior Princess (!), and of course a brilliant letter to his younger self. 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.

Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, also known as The Black Farmer, is someone who has always followed his own path. After arriving from Jamaica at the age of 3, growing up in a terrace house in Birmingham, and being diagnosed as dyslexic - it might have seemed like the odds were stacked against Wilfred. But time spent on his fathers allotment led him to dream of one day owning his own farm. After a successful career in Television and PR, Wilfred realised this dream; buying his own farm and launching his brand ‘The Black Farmer’.  Holly visited Wilfred to hear his incredible story of following his dream through adversity, not conforming and being proud to stand out, and how recently overcoming leukaemia, gave him the strength to finally tell his story through his new book - Jeopardy. 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 talks to Jo Tutchener-Sharp who shares her incredible story.  After leading a glamorous life in beauty PR, and running her own hugely successful agency, Jo had a life-altering moment which caused her to reevaluate everything. With a determination to do more good in the world, Jo launched Scamp & Dude - a company with true passion and purpose. Holly and Jo discuss the role of social media influencers, how to deal with copying as well as the some of the highs along the journey so far. 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.

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.