Episode 3: We Used AI to Bet on the Horses (and Other Business Lessons)

Ep. 5 — One Year In: Passion, Frustration & the Acceptance Edit

It's been one year since Complicated Co. launched — and Jodie and Rachel are marking it with their most honest episode yet. In this episode they cover: • Rachel's one-month work anniversary and getting the printer working (finally) • Why they hit 0% of their 10-tee sales target — and why that's actually okay • One year of Complicated Co: the passion, the frustration, and the gap between engagement and revenue • The Acceptance Edit: breaking down the three statements — Parasocial, Unfiltered, and That'll Do — and the real meaning behind each one • AI in small business: what Manus is genuinely doing for them, and why you can't replace human voice and personality • Mark's plate: tuna toasties, capers, and an afternoon neither of them wants to repeat This is the messy middle of building something real. No filters. No fluff. ───────────────────── LINKS ───────────────────── Shop the Acceptance Edit: www.complicatedco.co.uk [www.complicatedco.co.uk ] Work with Jodie: www.thecomplicatedcoach.co.uk [www.thecomplicatedcoach.co.uk] Instagram: @thecomplicatedco [https://www.instagram.com/thecomplicatedco/] | @thecomplicatedcoach [https://www.instagram.com/thecomplicatedcoach/] ───────────────────── GET IN TOUCH ───────────────────── DM us on Instagram or email jodiehorgan@thecomplicatedcoach.co.uk [jodiehorgan@thecomplicatedcoach.co.uk] with topic suggestions, questions, or if you'd like to come on the show.

Ep-4 Month One: What Hiring My First Team Member Actually Did to Me

A month ago, Rachel walked through the door. This episode is Jodie flying solo — Rachel doesn't work Tuesdays — with an honest ten-minute reflection on what month one has actually looked like.   Not the polished version. The real one.   Jodie talks about why bringing Rachel in was a financial gamble, not a luxury. How having someone alongside you changes your focus, your motivation, and the weight you carry when you're building something from scratch. And the one challenge that's now the mission: closing the gap between people who love what you do and people who actually buy from you.   In this episode: •       Why Jodie made a financial decision to hire before the business could comfortably afford it •       How Rachel has become the powerhouse behind both Complicated Co. and The Complicated Coach •       The loneliness of building alone — and what changes when someone shares the drive •       "Visibility without a conversation is just noise" — what that means for the next 11 months •       The honest truth about watching vs. buying, and why that's now the mission   If you're building something on your own and wondering why you're busy but not moving forward — this one's for you.   Complicated Conversations is the podcast for people doing the complicated bits of life and business without the polish.

Episode 3: We Used AI to Bet on the Horses (and Other Business Lessons)

Jodie and Rachel are back, properly fuelled by Mark's legendary full English, to talk about what it's actually like to use AI as a small business owner. This week: what Manus AI actually is (and why they've been calling it "Anus" since episode one), how it helped them spot a 9-second website load speed problem they didn't know they had, and why Jodie used it to pick her horses at Cheltenham. She won 3 out of 7. They're counting that as a win. Plus: the Knee Deep in Life effect — what happened when comedian Laura Belbin posted a Story about Complicated Co. (150 new followers and 3 sales in 18 hours). Mark's Plate Ep. 3 gets an 8 out of 10 for a full English with its own bean pot. And a health and safety incident in the office involving wires, a fall, and Rachel laughing before she checked if Jodie was okay. Complicated Conversations is the podcast where two best friends document the real, messy, funny middle of building two businesses. No filters. Just tea, Mark's cooking, and the truth.New episodes weekly. Follow so you never miss one.

Ep. 2— Meet Rach, Four Attempts & Why We're Doing This

Welcome to Complicated Conversations — the podcast that documents the real, unfiltered journey of building Complicated Co. from the middle.In Episode 1, Jodie introduces Rachel Kennedy — her new business partner, eight years in insurance, now all in. They cover the first week, the four attempts it took to record this, the rebrand from Gambol By Gob to The Complicated Coach, and what Complicated Co. is actually about.No scripts. No polish. Just two people figuring it out.Next episode: Our new secret weapon. (You'll have to listen to find out.)---Complicated Co. — clothing for complicated livesThe Complicated Coach — straight-talking business coachingFind us on Instagram: @thecomplicatedco | @thecomplicatedcoach

The Reality Behind the Scenes

This episode is a real-time check-in from one of those days that looks productive on paper but feels chaotic underneath. I am in my office, currently in complete disarray as I talk about the reality of building Complicated Co. behind the scenes. There was a webinar first thing. Two dogs in the office. A teabag pulled from a plant pot mid-session. A content shoot that ended with a dead rabbit discovery. And then an evening with family that I didn’t feel like I had time for — which carried its own kind of pressure. This episode isn’t about lessons or productivity hacks. It’s about what building something actually feels like when adult life keeps overlapping with ambition. For the next twelve months, we’re documenting what it looks like to try and make this work, honestly, in real time. Some days are calm. Some days are chaos. All of it counts.