I recently did something a little outside my comfort zone. I was a guest on Business in the Bath, a relatively new podcast hosted by Katie Rickson, and it was my first time being interviewed on a podcast!
Business in the Bath is all about doing business differently. It's about stepping away from hustle culture, making room for rest and connection, and finding your own version of success without sacrificing your wellbeing along the way. Something I can definitely get behind.
Katie and I chatted about my 19 years in business, building Boldly Design around freedom and flexibility, learning to trust my gut when it comes to clients, and the trap of comparing myself to other designers on social media. That comparison trap has fuelled my own imposter syndrome over the years, making it easy to overlook my own achievements while wondering why everyone else has managed to be so awesome.
We also talked about accessible design and why it needs to be considered from the very beginning, rather than bolted on as an afterthought. And we touched on the idea of quiet businesses. You know, the ones that aren't necessarily shouting the loudest but are steadily building a reputation, earning trust and nurturing loyal clients. I'm a big believer that success doesn't have to look the same for everyone.
Despite being nervous beforehand, Katie made me feel completely at ease. It was more like having a chat with an old friend than being interviewed, which made the whole experience surprisingly enjoyable.
That was until the podcast was released!
Listening to myself was a whole different level of nerve-racking. Did I really say that? Why did I phrase it like that? Could I have explained that better? I'm very glad it was edited before being released and wasn't a live recording. There's only so much second-guessing you can do when you know you can't go back and change anything!
But I'm glad I did it, and I'm proud to have been part of a podcast that celebrates doing business on your own terms.
Fancy a listen? You can find the Business in the Bath podcast on Spotify or listen below.
While you are there make sure to check out some of the other episodes. I especially recommend Tiffany Bartlett's and Wendy Brown's.
And as for being a podcast guest again? Absolutely! I'm putting that out into the universe. If you're a podcast host looking for someone to chat about design, accessibility, running a small business or finding your own version of success, I'd love to hear from you.
