From Profound Loss to the BEM: Zoe Bennett on Building the MBCC Awards Through Grief, Why 'Things Happen For Us' Not To Us, and Coaching Resilience Without Burning Out

Zoe Bennett, BEM, didn't set out to become known as "The Motivational Queen." In 2011, her father Errol was brutally murdered in Jamaica, leaving her traumatized and fighting a three-and-a-half-year battle for justice. She had to identify his mutilated body. She received death threats. And in

From Puppy Mill Rescue to C-Suite Search: Vips Kirrage on Building Two Businesses Without Overthinking It

Vips Kirrage co-founded ConsultantBox in 2000 alongside her husband Simon, building a boutique executive search firm that has placed senior leaders across Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies for nearly three decades. Specializing in board-level searches for CEOs, CTOs, CISOs, and senior SAP, cybersecurity, and AI/ML leaders, ConsultantBox operates

From the Magnetic North Pole to the Boardroom: Sue Stockdale on Leading Through Uncertainty, Building Global Podcasts, and the Explorer Mindset

In 1996, Sue Stockdale became the first British woman to ski to the Magnetic North Pole, selected from 500 applicants despite being a novice Arctic explorer. Since then, she's traversed some of the world's most extreme environments—from Antarctica to Greenland, Patagonia to the Wadi Rum

From Recruiter to Marketing Maverick: Jayde Pope on Building Magenta MAD Through Fundamentals, Referrals, and Marketing That's "Anything But Ordinary"

Jayde Pope didn't follow the traditional path to founding a marketing agency. After spending a decade in the trenches of recruitment and estate agency, she launched Magenta MAD—a full-service creative agency that exclusively serves the property and recruitment industries. Known as "The MAD Hatter," Jayde

Marketing Automation Without the Noise: Marte Stenbro on Building Meaningful Customer Experiences Through Data, AI, and Strategic Silence

Marte Stenbro has spent two decades learning one critical truth about marketing automation: anyone can automate their marketing, but few can maintain meaningfulness and relevance. As Co-founder and COO of Homerun Customer Experience, Marte has led complex international projects across the Nordics, Europe, Asia, and the US, specializing in marketing

From Night Shifts to Leading Law Firm: Shazia Ali on Building Scarsdale Solicitors Through Determination, Empathy, and Giving Voice to the Voiceless

Shazia Ali didn't have the luxury of a traditional path to becoming a solicitor. Growing up in an impoverished family and facing daily racism as a teenager, she funded her entire legal education herself, starting at age 14 by waitressing to afford a private tutor for her GCSEs.

Beyond Burnout and the Hustle: Sammie McPhail on Building Businesses That Honor Your Nervous System

Sammie McPhail didn't set out to build a typical marketing agency. As founder of Spellbound Marketing and The Spellbound Strategist, Sammie works with burnout-prone creatives, neurodivergent entrepreneurs, and sensitive founders who've been told success requires constant hustle, daily posting, and aggressive sales tactics. Her answer? Build

Integrity Over Profit: Lauren Ellerman on Why Honesty Prevents Lawsuits

Lauren Ellerman has spent nearly 20 years representing the other side of business disputes—and that perspective makes her advice invaluable. As a partner at Frith & Ellerman Law Firm in Roanoke, Virginia, Lauren represents patients in medical malpractice cases, families in nursing home neglect claims, employees challenging restrictive non-competes,

From Anthropology to Brand Strategy: Siena Dexter on Building Emotionally Intelligent Brands and Flexible Businesses

Siena Dexter didn't take the typical path from UCL anthropology graduate to brand strategist—but that unconventional route became her competitive advantage. As founder of Naked Ape Brands, a Bristol-based micro-studio, Siena combines academic anthropology with behavioral science and commercial design to build brands that respond to real

Effective Communications for B2B Innovation: Polina Lorelli on Strategic Communications for Scaling Startups and Venture Capital

Polina Lorelli built her career bridging the gap between complex innovation and the audiences that need to understand it. After working with major global clients like the Islamic Development Bank at Freuds Communications and experiencing the startup world from the inside, she identified a critical market gap: B2B innovation companies

Navigating AI Law and IP Strategy: Cynthia Cole on Building Legally Resilient Tech Companies

Cynthia Cole doesn’t just advise on technology law—she shapes how companies architect their legal foundations for scale. As Chair of Baker McKenzie’s Global Commercial, Tech and Transactions Business Unit and a recognized thought leader in AI governance, Cynthia operates at the intersection of innovation and regulation. Named

From Film Sets to PR Powerhouse: Lisa Malcolm on Building Lynk PR Through Trust, Intuition, and Industry Respect

Lisa Malcolm didn’t just pivot during the pandemic—she rebuilt from the ground up. With over 20 years in the entertainment industry and a successful business partnership behind her, she made the bold decision in 2020 to launch Lynk PR on her own terms. Today, the company thrives on