Fishers on the Case

Why You Shouldn't Sell Your House "Looking Like That" - Fishers on the Case - EP 15 Elaine Penhaul

Welcome to another episode of Fishers on the Case, the podcast where we dive into the lives and careers of business owners and industry experts. In this episode, host Amanda Payne, CEO of Fishers Solicitors, sits down with Elaine Penhaul, the founder of Lemon and Lime Interiors. Elaine shares her fascinating journey from a background in mathematics and actuarial science to becoming a leader in the UK home staging industry. She explains how a "sleeping beauty" house and a direct conversation with a friend led to a sale £60,000 over the guide price—and sparked the beginning of her staging empire. In this episode, we explore: The "Accidental" Business: How Elaine transitioned from managing rental properties during the 2008 crash to professional property presentation. Systemizing Success: Why a mathematician's hatred for paper led to a highly scalable, franchise-ready business model. The Science of Sale: Achieving faster sales and guide price results through "desirable interiors". The Portfolio Career: Elaine’s experience running a Greek sailing school and how every past role shaped her current success. Whether you are a property professional, a homeowner preparing for a sale, or an entrepreneur interested in scaling a niche business, Elaine's insights on "professional property presentation" are not to be missed. 01:00:25 - Introduction to Elaine Penhaul and Lemon and Lime Interiors 01:01:45 - The 2008 Crash: Learning to eliminate void periods 01:02:38 - The "Sleeping Beauty" House: A £60,000 turning point 01:03:56 - Defining Home Staging vs. Property Presentation 01:05:00 - Scaling & Systemization: The mathematician’s approach 01:06:01 - Why the US staging model doesn't fit the UK 01:07:00 - The Journey to Franchising: From lockdown to national growth 01:09:00 - Managing 13,000 pieces of furniture and sustainability 01:10:00 - Case Study: The "Sad House" and pest control 01:12:00 - Working with family and balancing four children 01:13:30 - Career History: From Actuarial Science to sailing schools 01:16:00 - The "Divorce Save": When staging makes you fall back in love with your home 01:17:00 - Final Tip: Getting your house ready for sale

Why Being a Lawyer Was the Perfect Foundation for My Writing Business - Fishers on the Case - EP 14 Kirsty France

What happens when you trade the courtroom for the copy desk? In this episode of Fishers on the Case, CEO Amanda Payne sits down with Kirsty France, founder of Kirsty France Writes, to explore her fascinating transition from a 10-year career as a solicitor to becoming a professional copywriter and fiction author. Kirsty reveals how her legal background specifically her time in personal injury and defendant litigation gave her a unique "Guide" authority, allowing her to translate complex technical jargon into compelling stories for businesses. We dive into the importance of networking, overcoming writer's block by "writing nonsense," and the mindset shift required to move from professional services to creative entrepreneurship.

How Local Businesses Grow in Ashby - Fishers on the Case - EP 13 Jack McPhillips

In this episode of Fishers on the Case, Amanda Payne sits down with Jack McBillips from Digital Office to talk about local business, family-run companies, and how Ashby has changed over the years. Jack shares his journey from studying business and marketing to joining the family business, starting from the ground up, and helping Digital Office grow into a modern provider of print, IT, cloud and telecoms solutions. Amanda and Jack also discuss the growth of Ashby, the importance of face-to-face relationships, working in a family business, and why local businesses continue to play such an important role in the community.

Why Does It Take So Long to Buy and Sell a House? - Fishers on the Case - EP 12 Martyn Baum

In this episode of Fishers on the Case, host Amanda Payne is joined by Martyn Baum, estate agent and long-standing friend of Fishers, to discuss the realities of buying and selling property. Martyn shares how he fell into estate agency through work experience, his journey from trainee estate agent to running his own business, and why property is ultimately about people, relationships and trust. Amanda and Martyn also explore why property transactions now take much longer than they used to, what causes delays in conveyancing, why communication between estate agents and solicitors matters, and what could be done to improve the process for buyers and sellers.

What Is It Like to be a sole trader? – Fishers on the Case – EP 11

In this episode of Fishers on the Case, host Amanda Payne is joined by Sophie Allen from Serrano Media to discuss what it is really like setting up and running a small business as a sole trader. Sophie shares her journey from working in retail to building a career in graphic design, gaining hands-on experience in print and marketing before launching her own business. They discuss the realities of being a sole trader, including wearing multiple hats, managing finances and learning new skills along the way. The conversation also explores the power of networking, building meaningful relationships through events like Ashby Connect, and how strong client relationships define success.