Allegedly Thriving

#06: Bao Buns, Branding and Death

In Episode 6 of Allegedly Thriving, Izzy and Martin finally nail the intro, only to immediately record in the noisiest possible location: The Stack in Seaburn, a giant tin box of kids, music, and questionable puns. Martin’s thriving after sitting down to map out proper short, medium and long tem goals.   Izzy’s thriving too but theres a quick hard left into mortality: the weird comfort of planning your own death, the fear of a stupid death, and what “legacy” actually means when you strip away money and status. Somewhere between McDonald’s orders, coffee slander, and the ethics of saying “bougie”, they stumble into a surprisingly solid branding conversation: why audiences can sense quality, why consistency matters more than constant rebrands and how a few stable “brand DNA” elements can carry everything else. This weeks teachable moment: “People change their brand rather than fixing the problems underneath.” This is all about us having a chat, a laugh and hopefully share some hints and tips to help survive life! Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours. If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters: Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography [https://www.martinnewham.com]  and TerryHarrisonArt [https://www.terryharrisonart.com] Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius:  Howell Studios [https://howellstudios.co.uk/] and Howell Media [https://howellmedia.co.uk/]

#05: Baristas, Running and Social Media

Martin’s thriving off a surprisingly satisfying phone-photography gig, Izzy’s surviving via a Lake District bookshop fantasy, and they spiral into the most important debate yet: nip vs pop? In Episode 5 of Allegedly Thriving, Martin and Izzy finally attempt a proper intro (names included… eventually) before diving into the weekly check-in. Martin’s thriving after a genuinely enjoyable commercial shoot photographing mobile phones, who knew something so mundane could be so challenging! Izzy is surviving, it’s been a rough week, and her brain keeps escaping to a cosy fantasy life running a bookshop-café in a quiet Lake District village. From there, the conversation swings through coffee snobbery, cake loyalties, and the reality of learning new skills as an adult which includes a couch-to-5K epiphany and frustration at the  “TikTok-ification” of hobbies. Finally the biggest question of all - what’s the actual difference between nipping to the shops and popping to the shops? Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours. If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters: Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography [https://www.martinnewham.com]  and TerryHarrisonArt [https://www.terryharrisonart.com] Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius:  Howell Studios [https://howellstudios.co.uk/] and Howell Media [https://howellmedia.co.uk/]

#04: The Apprentice, Creatives and Visibility

In Episode 4 of Allegedly Thriving, Martin and Issy do the weekly check-in and immediately prove why the show is called Allegedly! Issy says she’s thriving but admits that success makes her more anxious, because she’s constantly waiting for the moment it all goes wrong. Martin relates from the other side: the strange self-employed paradox where you get the freedom to choose your hours as well as the freedom to worry in every single one of them. We get into the guilt of taking time off, the weird “enforced rest” fantasies that show you you’re edging toward burnout, and why adulthood never quite feels as adult as you expect.  Then we swerve into reality TV, creative work, and a genuinely specific phobia that’s inconveniently common at National Trust properties. Quote of the episode: “I’ve dabbled in the ‘just a little coma’ fantasy.” This is all about us having a chat, a laugh and hopefully share some hints and tips to help survive life! Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours. If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters: Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography [https://www.martinnewham.com]  and TerryHarrisonArt [https://www.terryharrisonart.com] Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius:  Howell Studios [https://howellstudios.co.uk/] and Howell Media [https://howellmedia.co.uk/]

#03: Grumblings, Networking and Garden Centers

In Episode 3 of Allegedly Thriving, Martin and Issy check in and ask the weekly question: "Are we thriving or surviving?" Issy is firmly in survival mode after a brutal run of seven speaking gigs in four weeks, followed immediately by her body dropping the “you’re ill now” hammer. We talk about what speaking teaches you (including the surprisingly strategic role of clothing), why nerves don’t always get quieter with repetition, and how small business life is basically a rotating set of comfort zones and panic zones. From networking tactics (white-knighting strangers via the tea station) to Martin’s pothole-of-doom tyre saga and a sudden breakthrough on sales funnels , the episode lands on a surprisingly wholesome truth: everyone is winging it! Also we talk about nursery apps, scarlet fever headlines and the spiritual power of one sunny day in the North East. This is all about us having a chat, a laugh and hopefully share some hints and tips to help survive life! Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours. If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters: Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography [https://www.martinnewham.com]  and TerryHarrisonArt [https://www.terryharrisonart.com] Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius:  Howell Studios [https://howellstudios.co.uk/] and Howell Media [https://howellmedia.co.uk/]

#02: Dreams, Hat Racks and how to Fill Your Car.

In Episode 2 of Allegedly Thriving, Martin and Issy check in on the week thats gone by and ask the question: "Are we thriving or surviving?" Issy’s been surviving her daughter’s third birthday celebrations (think soft play that feels like Saving Private Ryan), while Martin’s thriving work-wise but battling a brain that won’t switch off at night.  From recurring stress dreams and the pressure of “soaking in” success, to whether your heart is “cheering you on” or just panicking, we end up where we always do: honest, a bit chaotic, and weirdly relatable. Also, what furniture would you be, which animal would you rather fight and why petrol roulette might say more about your personality than you’d like. This is all about us having a chat, a laugh and hopefully share some hints and tips to help survive life! Warning - we do go off topic - a LOT! Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours. If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters: Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography [https://www.martinnewham.com]  and TerryHarrisonArt [https://www.terryharrisonart.com] Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius:  Howell Studios [https://howellstudios.co.uk/] and Howell Media [https://howellmedia.co.uk/]