51: Taking Up Space and Why It Feels So Uncomfortable

51: Taking Up Space and Why It Feels So Uncomfortable

This is the first solo episode of Mum Means Business. No guest, no carefully crafted bio to introduce, no one else to bounce off. Just me, unfiltered, taking up space in my own podcast for the first time. This episode marks the start of a new weekly format. Each Friday, I'll share a short and honest reflection on whatever is on my mind that week across my photography business, my work teaching photographers to lead with print in the digital age, the podcast itself and my role in the family business my father established over twenty years ago. Layered on top of all of that, as always, is family life with its highs, lows and everything in between. In this first ramble, I open up about why it has taken me so long to talk about my own work on a podcast built to celebrate other mothers in business and what finally shifted to bring about this new chapter. In this episode, I reflect on: ✨ Why building a podcast to celebrate other women's businesses made it feel almost impossible to talk about my own ✨ The internalised story that to be accepted, women should dim themselves rather than take up space, and how deeply that belief can sit beneath the surface ✨ Why authenticity is hard precisely because it asks us to override a lifetime of conditioning that we are too much ✨ How the conversations on this podcast have become a genuine source of comfort and solidarity while navigating my own identity shifts in early motherhood ✨ The decision to start these solo episodes as a way of practising what I preach, and giving myself permission to take up the same space I encourage other mothers to claim Takeaway for Mums in Business: The more we normalise the mess that's going on behind the scenes, the better and that's why this podcast exists. The fact is that business-building takes time and when you're a Mum, it can take even longer. It's a rollercoaster, but we're all riding it together! About The Host: I’m Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, analogue family photographer [https://victoriaphipps.com/], personal brand photographer, educator, charity co-founder, marketer and now podcaster! 🎙️ I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis! I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams. Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website [https://mummeansbusinesspodcast.com/ruthashton] for full show notes. I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoriaphippsmbe [https://www.instagram.com/@victoriaphippsmbe/] or @mummeansbusinesspodcast [https://www.instagram.com/mummeansbusinesspodcast/]. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!

50: Turning the Tables; Victoria Phipps on the Messy Middle of Motherhood and Business

For 49 episodes, I've been the one asking the questions. For episode 50, the tables are turned! Putting me in the hot seat is Sarah Garrod.  Sarah is a qualified journalist, founder of copywriting practice Put In A Good Word and one of my oldest friends. We met on our first day of secondary school at the age of eleven and have navigated teenage years, university, adventures in business and the complexities of modern motherhood side by side ever since. In this milestone episode, Sarah puts her journalism skills to work and interviews me about my own story - from co-founding the D-Day Revisited [https://d-dayrevisited.co.uk/] charity to building a photography business [https://victoriaphipps.com/] across the analogue and digital ages, dipping my toes into the online business space and the messy, honest reality of navigating entrepreneurship alongside early motherhood... this is a conversation I admits felt self-indulgent and uncomfortable in equal measure. Which is, of course, exactly why it needed to happen. 💡 "Business-building mothers need to get more comfortable taking up space. I have a responsibility to practise what I preach." — Victoria Phipps In this conversation, we explore: ✨ The story of co-founding D-Day Revisited, a charity that became one of the most significant commemorations of its generation and what that experience taught me about leadership, community and showing up for something bigger than yourself ✨ The transferable skills that charity work gave me and how those skills shaped the way I approach motherhood and business ✨ The transition into photography and the journey of building a business through the seismic shift of the digital age ✨ Why film photography holds a particular and irreplaceable magic and what the analogue process teaches us about patience, trust and the art of letting go ✨ How I think about creating lasting memories through photography and why the stories we preserve matter as much as the images themselves ✨ The messy middle of navigating motherhood and entrepreneurship honestly and what it has taken to keep showing up through the uncertainty and self-doubt ✨ Why I started this podcast, what I hoped it would become and what 50 episodes have taught me about community, connection and the power of shared experience ✨ The importance of finding your tribe as a mother in business and why building community is not a nice-to-have but a genuine lifeline ✨ My vision for the next chapter, including a new weekly solo episode sharing the honest highs and lows of building a business alongside family life About the Guest and Host: This episode turns the microphone around. I'm the host of Mum Means Business, a mum of two, portrait photographer, photography business educator, marketing lead in the family business and the woman behind 50 episodes of honest, warm conversations about motherhood and entrepreneurship. Interviewing me is Sarah Garrod - qualified journalist, founder of Put In A Good Word and one of my oldest and most trusted friends. You can find Sarah at putinagoodword.co.uk [https://www.putinagoodword.co.uk/] or on Instagram at @put_in_a_good_word [https://www.instagram.com/put_in_a_good_word/]. About The Host: I’m Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, analogue family photographer [https://victoriaphipps.com/], personal brand photographer, educator, charity co-founder, marketer and now podcaster! 🎙️ I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis! I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams. Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website [https://mummeansbusinesspodcast.com/ruthashton] for full show notes. I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoriaphippsmbe [https://www.instagram.com/@victoriaphippsmbe/] or @mummeansbusinesspodcast [https://www.instagram.com/mummeansbusinesspodcast/]. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!

49: Bath Time, Business and the Courage to Back Yourself with Christina Townsend

Christina Townsend is a mum of three, a former early years teacher and the founder of Spout [https://www.spoutbathtoys.com/] - an award-winning bath play system that gives children a defined space for bath time play before converting into a calm, grown-up bath setup for worn-out parents in need of rest and restoration. The idea grew directly from her own evenings at home, navigating dinner, bath and bed on repeat when everyone is tired and the house already feels full enough. Unable to find a solution that made that moment feel easier without adding more clutter, she decided to build one herself. Christina shares the early stage journey of turning an idea into a real product and a real business and what it has taken in terms of courage, tenacity and self-belief to keep going before the world has even seen what she is building. In this conversation, we explore: ✨ The story behind Spout, how a recognisable parenting pain point became the seed of a product idea and what the early design process actually looked like ✨ How Christina's background as an early years teacher shaped both the concept and the philosophy behind Spout and why that expertise has been one of her greatest assets ✨ Navigating significant life events and personal challenges alongside the demands of launching a start up and what that has revealed about resilience and priorities ✨ The emotional rollercoaster of early stage entrepreneurship and why the start up phase, though challenging, is often where the most profound personal growth happens ✨ Overcoming self-doubt and imposter syndrome when you are surrounded by very few people who are modelling the entrepreneurial way of life ✨ What it means to position yourself in your own mind as an entrepreneur when that word still feels big, unfamiliar or even intimidating ✨ The role of family support in sustaining the energy and tenacity that start up life demands and who has championed Christina most along the way ✨ Learning the language of business from scratch, navigating investment conversations and taking financial risks when the stakes are deeply personal ✨ The challenges of marketing and social media as a solo founder with limited time and resource and how she is finding her way through ✨ What creating a lasting impact means to Christina and the vision she holds for Spout beyond the product itself About the Guest: Christina Townsend is the founder of Spout, an award-winning bath play system designed to make bath time easier for children and more restorative for parents. A former early years teacher and mother of three, she is navigating the start up journey whilst working full time and solo parenting, learning as she goes what it truly takes to turn an idea into a product and a product into a business. Her story is one of tenacity, courage and the quiet but powerful decision to back yourself before anyone else does. You can find Christina on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/spoutbathtoys/] or LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-townsend-a63293367/]and learn more about Spout at the Spout Bath Toys website [https://www.spoutbathtoys.com/]. About The Host: I’m Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, analogue family photographer [https://victoriaphipps.com/], personal brand photographer, educator, charity co-founder, marketer and now podcaster! 🎙️ I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis! I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams. Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website [https://mummeansbusinesspodcast.com/ruthashton] for full show notes. I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoriaphippsmbe [https://www.instagram.com/@victoriaphippsmbe/] or @mummeansbusinesspodcast [https://www.instagram.com/mummeansbusinesspodcast/]. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!

48: Foot Health, Franchising and Building a Business That Fits with Sam Chetwood

Sam Chetwood is the founder of CeCe & Me, a mobile children's shoe fitting service transforming the way parents shop for their little ones' feet. Her journey began not in business but in frustration - as a mum who struggled to feel confident buying shoes for her toddlers and couldn't find a service that truly put foot health first. What began as a personal mission has since grown into a franchise network, supporting other mothers to build flexible, rewarding businesses around family life. In this episode, we explore the story behind CeCe & Me, the surprising science of children's foot health and what it really takes to build a franchise from scratch — a conversation about solving a problem you know intimately and why the shoes on your child's feet matter far more than most of us realise. "Shoes aren't just a necessity of life there to keep the rain off. They have a vital role to play in our wider physical and neurological health and wellbeing." — Sam Chetwood In this conversation, we explore: ✨ How Sam's experience as a frustrated mum navigating busy chain shoe stores became the catalyst for building an entirely new kind of children's shoe fitting service ✨ The challenges of getting children's shoes right and why the standard high street experience so often leaves parents feeling uncertain and overwhelmed ✨ How the CeCe & Me mobile model works and why bringing the fitting service directly to families changes the experience for both parents and children entirely ✨ The importance of building genuine relationships with families over time and why that continuity of care sets CeCe & Me apart from a transactional shoe shop visit ✨ The journey into franchising, how Sam developed her CPD-accredited training programme and what she looks for in the mothers who join the network ✨ The science behind shoe fitting and why getting it right in early childhood has significant implications for long term physical and neurological development ✨ How feet act as sensory organs and the surprising role they play in a child's wider health and wellbeing beyond simply keeping the rain out ✨ The tension between fashion and function in children's footwear and the practical guidance Sam gives parents who are trying to navigate both ✨ Why creating positive, memorable experiences around shoe fitting in childhood can shape a child's relationship with their own foot health for life ✨ The vision for CeCe & Me and where Sam hopes to take the business and its mission next About the Guest: Sam Chetwood is the founder of CeCe & Me, a mobile children's shoe fitting service and growing franchise network dedicated to promoting long term foot health in children. Having identified a genuine gap in the market as a frustrated mum, she built a business that combines expert fitting, parent education and a warm, unhurried experience that puts families first. Her CPD-accredited training programme supports franchisees across the country to deliver that same standard of care in their own communities. Sam is a mother on a mission to change the way we think about children's shoes, one fitting at a time. You can connect with Sam via Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ceceandmehq], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-chetwood-the-shoe-lady-43099a10/] or the CeCe & Me website [https://www.ceceandme.co.uk/]. About The Host: I’m Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, analogue family photographer [https://victoriaphipps.com/], personal brand photographer, educator, charity co-founder, marketer and now podcaster! 🎙️ I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis! I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams. Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website [https://mummeansbusinesspodcast.com/ruthashton] for full show notes. I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoriaphippsmbe [https://www.instagram.com/@victoriaphippsmbe/] or @mummeansbusinesspodcast [https://www.instagram.com/mummeansbusinesspodcast/]. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!

47: Branding, Boundaries and Building Sustainably in Motherhood with Charlotte Vincent

Charlotte Vincent is a branding designer and founder of Rose Studio, a creative studio based in Auckland, New Zealand that helps female-led businesses create premium, strategy-backed brands that attract their dream clients. What began as early morning design sessions stolen between the demands of family life has grown into a full-scale creative business, built intentionally around motherhood rather than in spite of it. A mother of three navigating the particular joys and challenges of raising a child with a disability, Charlotte brings both creative expertise and hard-won personal insight to everything she builds. In this episode, we explore her journey from those first quiet hours at the desk to founding Rose Studio, and what it truly means to design a business that supports your life rather than consuming it. 💡 "Once I designed my business to support my life, everything became more sustainable. Motherhood sharpened my decision-making, boundaries and focus. I waste less time and trust myself more." - Charlotte Vincent In this conversation, we explore: ✨ How Charlotte's business began with early morning design sessions as a busy mother and the slow, intentional journey from those first hours to founding Rose Studio ✨ The decision to start a business and what motherhood clarified about the kind of work she wanted to do and the life she wanted to build around it ✨ Life as a family in Thailand and how that chapter shaped her perspective on flexibility, identity and what it means to build a life outside the familiar ✨ The impact of the pandemic on family dynamics and how navigating that period of upheaval accelerated her transition into entrepreneurship ✨ The honest challenges of returning to work after maternity leave and adjusting to shifting roles between partners as life and business evolve ✨ Why investing in a business coach was a turning point and what that outside perspective unlocked for her clarity, confidence and direction ✨ How caring for a child with a disability has sharpened her decision-making, deepened her boundaries and reshaped her understanding of what really matters in business and in life ✨ The shift from measuring success by external markers to redefining it in her own terms, season by season, as a mother and as a founder ✨ Why giving herself permission to build slowly and sustainably was not a compromise but the foundation everything else was built on ✨ What she would say to any mother at the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey who is wondering whether the timing will ever feel right About the Guest: Charlotte Vincent is a branding designer and the founder of Rose Studio, a creative studio based in Auckland, New Zealand. She works with female-led businesses to create premium, strategy-backed brands that are built to attract dream clients and support long term growth. A mother of three, Charlotte has built her business slowly and intentionally around family life, including the particular joys and challenges of raising a child with a disability. Her story is one of patience, clarity and the quiet power of building something sustainable. You can connect with Charlotte via Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/rosestudio.co.nz/] or the Rose Studio website [https://www.rosestudio.co.nz/]. About The Host: I’m Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, analogue family photographer [https://victoriaphipps.com/], personal brand photographer, educator, charity co-founder, marketer and now podcaster! 🎙️ I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis! I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams. Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website [https://mummeansbusinesspodcast.com/ruthashton] for full show notes. I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoriaphippsmbe [https://www.instagram.com/@victoriaphippsmbe/] or @mummeansbusinesspodcast [https://www.instagram.com/mummeansbusinesspodcast/]. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!