The Success Revolution: Recent Episodes
Alice Olins of The Step Up Club
If we asked you for your definition of success, what would you say? For us, it's simple: success is unique to each of us. Welcome to The Success Revolution: the podcast that's changing the way we talk and think - about success.
If I asked you for your definition of success, what would you say? For me, it’s simple: success is unique to each and every one of us.
Welcome to The Success Revolution, the podcast that’s changing the way we talk – and think – about success. Having worked with one too many women who’s had her confidence and her identity diminished as a result of working towards an antiquated definition of success – you know it, money, power, status, etc.
In this episode of The Success Revolution, I speak to the inimitable businesswoman Amber Venz Box. Who despite starting her career rather uneventfully by being ignored by all of the American style magazines, when she wrote as asked to be an intern, did not give up on her pursuit of brilliance. What lay ahead, has even surprised her. Because after several years as a jobbing freelance stylist, making her own jewellery on the side, and generally just doing anything to stay in touch with the fashion industry that she has loved for as long as she can remember, Amber came up with a simple but game-changingly brilliant idea: technology that helps bloggers earn a small cut of the products or services that they are promoting.
Today that idea has spiralled into a business that has literally changed the shape of the fashion industry, promoting bloggers and influencers to their right position up the tree of credibility, and also giving them the revenue to be able to become individual content creators, which has directly impacted on traditional magazine and media sales and distribution globally.
Since RewardStyle’s inception in 2011, it’s no exaggeration to say that Amber and her team have created a fashion revolution. They’ve helped legitimise bloggers (and put them on the front rows) and democratised money and power away from the big brands.
Amber herself has been named on the Business of Fashion 500 power list, Forbes' 30 Under 30, Fast Co.'s Most Innovative and Glamour’s “Woman of the Year” for Technology, among many other accolades.
You can follow Amber and her ventures at:
@liketoknow.it
@rewardstylehq
@ambervenzbox
or via the website at rewardstyle.com and liketoknowit.com
And as a podcast listener, I would also like to extend to you a special discount on the Step Up members club, which is helping women all over the world to feel more confident at work, to get paid their value, find a success that suits their lifestyle and might the right work choices when things feels stressful and confusing. Join now at stepupclub.co/membersclub and enter POD50 for 50% off your first month – making it less than the price of two cappuccinos a week!
Also, if you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
In this episode of The Success Revolution, which is actually the last in the current series, I speak to Sophie Conran, one of our country’s most important female creatives. The only daughter of Sir Terence Conran, she is a designer, an award winning cook, entrepreneur, retailer and taste-maker. She may have come from creative privilege but Sophie has trodden her own path, and made many pivots in her varied and eclectic career. What struck me about Sophie was her focus on happiness and contentment, two themes that dominate her life and have become important values within her business too. Hers is a story of exploration, a sensible attitude to failure and modern working motherhood. If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
ALSO STAY TUNED ON MY @THESTEPUPCLUB INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT OVER THE SUMMER FOR NEWS ON MY BRAND NEW LAUNCH – A BRAND NEW ONLINE AND OFFLINE MEMBERS CLUB TO ANSWER ALL OF YOUR WORK RELATED NEEDS. THERE WILL BE MONTHLY LEARNING BUNDLES, EXPERT VIDEO TIPS FROM MY ACCREDITED COACHES, MENTORING CIRCLES, JOBS BOARDS AND SO MUCH MORE.
TO GET ON THE EARLY BIRD WAITLIST, EMAIL YOUR DETAILS TO HELLO@STEPUPCLUB.CO
In this episode of The Success Revolution, I speak to Natalie Lees AKA Style Me Sunday who is a loud and proud modern female voice. She is also a trained – though non-practicing, midwife – and has harnessed her empathy skills, her ability to communicate what women feel and her inherent style and sass to create a digital space that helps puts us all back on our own front foot. She is a body positivity campaigner and uses her platform to challenge social norms, and shout about what’s important. She is funny, open-minded, brave and not afraid to challenge the status quo. I loved hearing about her major career pivot, what it felt like to lose and then regain her identity and what it takes to carve out a new path based on new working norms. This episode is recorded in support of the Royal Society For Blind Children, a charity very close to Natalie’s heart. Find out more about the charity and how to help or donate at rsbc.org.uk
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
In this episode of The Success Revolution, I speak to the vivid (their own word!), hilarious, highly intelligent, perceptive, modern force that is The Midult. Set up and run by journalists Annabel Rivkin and Emilie McMeekan, The Midult is a blog, a podcast and a movement. What Annabel and Emilie believe (and shout about with plenty of humour on a daily basis) is that women in their midulthood deserve some of the spotlight. Why is it that when we reach our late 30s, the Midult think, and I wholeheartedly agree, do women become invisible? And not just invisible to society, but to ourselves too. In this podcast we explore this extinction, come up with some answers and belt out plenty of laughs and profanities in the process.
The pair write, and talk, openly about their neuroses, just as they do their grey pubes. And in doing so have, not-unwittingly, helped give a voice to women who feel crushed by constant pressure and expectation to be living their #BestLives but who deep down just don’t give a damn.
In this episode we talk about the power of female friendship, what it means to be a working woman today, how Emilie’s adoration for her husband knows no bounds, and how they manage and end up ignoring their internal negative voices.
You can find The Midult across all social media platforms @themidult and on their site themidult.com
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
In this episode of The Success Revolution, we speak to the wonderful and stylish Alex Stedman. A freelance stylist by trade, she previously worked in PR and as magazine stylist for 15 years before deciding to do a major career pivot in 2015: she left her job in order to focus her energies on freelance editing and her already successful blog, The Frugality which she had set up 3 years earlier. Today The Frugality boasts 100,000s of readers and Alex continues to keep it true to its original aim of being a stylish manual to living frugally. She talks us about how she made the momentous decision to become a fulltime blogger, the very good reason she won’t ask you to swipe up for links on Instagram and gives us some tips on how we can all live a little more frugally.
You can find Alex on Instagram @thefrugality and on her site The-Frugality.com.
This episode is recorded in support The Railway Children, a charity that works to protect street children in India, East Africa and the UK who nowhere else to go and nobody to turn to. Every year thousands of children across these countries run away or are forced to leave homes that have become unbearable through poverty, abuse, violence and neglect. The Railway Children aim to reach these children as soon as possible before an abuser can, and before they become entrenched in street life. Find out more about The Railway Children and how you can help at RailwayChildren.org.uk.
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
In this episode of The Success Revolution, we speak to businesswoman, creative and mother, Samantha Cameron. She also happens to be married to one of our country’s former Prime Ministers. Before her move to Westminster, Samatha was the creative director at British leather goods and stationary brand, Smythson but today Sam is the proud owner and founder of her own womenswear brand, Cefinn which she launched in 2017. She talks to me about how she developed a love from retail from an early age, why she’ll never give up working and what family life is like when you have one of the UK’s busiest schedules.
Cefinn’s pop-up store is at 73 Duke of York Square, King’s Road, SW3 4LY.
This episode is recorded in support of Contact, a charity that offers support, workshops and up to date medical information for families with disabled children. It is an incredible charity close to Samantha’s heart as she and David relied on it when their son, Ivan, was still alive. Find out more about the charity and how to help or donate at Contact.org.uk.
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
In this episode of The Success Revolution, we speak to Elizabeth Day, a vital modern voice across journalism and fiction. She is a regular contributor to The Telegraph, Elle, The Guardian and Vogue, writing on subjects including film, feminism, politics, love, life and womanhood and truly epitomises what it means to be a multi-faceted woman today. Last year, Elizabeth started experimenting with a new medium to speak to her audience: podcasting with her chart-topping podcast series How To Fail With Elizabeth Day. She talks to us about the bravery of opening up about her personal life(and how to it connected her with millions of listeners), how a second-hand encounter with her ex resulted in a killer podcast pitch and how sometimes, you just have to sweat it out with a gym class.
Elizabeth’s latest book, How To Fail is out now.
This episode is recorded in support of the charity Refuge, a charity that is committed to a world where violence against women and girls is not tolerated and where women and children can live safely. Find out more about the charity and how to help or donate at Refuge.org.uk.
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
In this episode of The Success Revolution, we speak to Rosemary Ferguson, a multi-faceted British sensation. She is one of the most famous faces of 90s modelling, having walked in all the important catwalk shows and appearing on the hallowed covers of Vogue, The Face and many other seminal fashion tomes. Rosemary is more than just a beautiful face; she is a trained naturopath and nutritionist, runs her own clinic on Harley Street and has recently moved into the food industry. She talks to us about her crazy modelling beginnings, what it takes to be the face of an era – and how that can impact you personally, as well as professionally – and the joy of being a working mum.
You can find out more about Rosemary here.
This episode is recorded in support of the charity Every Mother Counts which works globally to improve essential maternity care, so as to reduce and ultimately prevent deaths due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Find out more about the charity and how to help or donate at EveryMotherCounts.org.
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
In this episode of The Success Revolution, we speak to Edith Bowman, broadcaster, BBC stalwart and creator of the award-winning Soundtracking podcast. You can’t help but be drawn to Edith’s straight-talking humour and honest insights into what it’s like to be a woman working in radio and TV. She talks to us about how she broke into the industry, how she bounces back from public failure and even helps us learn how to take control of our own careers.
You can listen to Edith’s podcast, Soundtracking here.
This episode is recorded in support of Future Dreams, a breast cancer charity that helps raise awareness about breast cancer and offers incredible and unique support to women and their families going through difficult journeys. Find out more about how to help at FutureDreams.org.uk.
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
In this episode of The Success Revolution, we speak to Emma France, the global development and strategic engagement director for Mothers2Mothers, an incredible charity that works to empower women and their families throughout their lives. She manages a team spanning three continents and 10 timezones and it’s fair to say that the rapid growth of Mother2Mothers’ European operation is thanks in no small part to her passion, warmth, energy and drive.
You can find out more about the work that Mother2Mothers do at m2m.org.
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
In this episode of The Success Revolution, we speak to the author of the No F*cks Given Guides, Sarah Knight. She talks the pressures of working in the New York corporate rat race, the breakdown she had as a result and the life-affirming decision she took to take her career somewhere a lot calmer – but no less successful – as a result.
Calm the F**k Down by Sarah Knight is out now. Buy your copy here.
This episode is recorded in support of Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood a charity that provides high-quality affordable health care to women, men and young people around the world and is the largest provider of sex education in the US. Find out more about how to help at PlannedParenthood.com.
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
In this episode of The Success Revolution, we speak to entrepreneur, Michelle Kennedy. She is the founder of Peanut, an app that is taking the tech and parenting worlds by storm by using dating technology to connect mothers with each other. She talks the pressures of raising big venture capital funding, what it’s like to be the face of your brand and how to stay resilient in the face of online trolls and her tips for how she keeps boundaries in her extremely busy life.
Download the Peanut app for free on the App Store or Google Play.
Our sponsor this week is Baby 2 Baby. Baby 2 Baby provides low income children under 12 with nappies, clothing and all the basic necessities that every child deserves. Find out more about how to help at Baby2Baby.org.
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
In this episode of The Success Revolution, we speak to Instagram star, brand consultant and fashion designer, Zoë de Pass aka Dress Like A Mum. She talks about the reality behind being a social media sensation, how her success isn’t about making millions and how she connects with her audience in her own unique way.
Follow Zoë on Instagram at @dresslikeamum and @dlam_by_zdp.
Our sponsor this week is Care International which fights poverty and injustice in the world’s most vulnerable places, supporting women and girls to overcome inequality and fulfil their potential. Find out more about how to help at CareInternational.org.uk
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
In this episode of The Success Revolution, we speak to gold medal-winning Olympian, Kate Richardson Walsh, who talks captaining Team GB’s women’s hockey team to its first gold medal, what it’s like to publicly fail and managing that post-Olympics void. Her advice is applicable and beneficial to us all; because really, life on the hockey pitch, is just real life, with all its pressures, expectations and relationships, under international floodlights.
This episode is recorded in support of Access Sport which works solely with young people in deprived communities and with disabilities to enjoy all of the benefits of sport. Find out more about how to help at AccessSport.org.uk
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
In this episode of The Success Revolution, we speak to author, journalist and art critic, Laura Freeman. Her critically acclaimed first book, The Reading Cure: How Books Restored My Appetite, was published in February 2018. A mindful, exquisitely written memoir of her passage away from anorexia, The Reading Cure is as much a love story to literature as it is a tender exploration of recovery and womanhood.
This episode is recorded in support of Smart Works. Smart Works provides interview training as well as interview attire to unemployed women in need, ultimately providing them with the clothes and confidence to allow a woman to be her best at a crucial moment in her life, giving her the self-belief and the practical tools required to succeed at interview and transform her life. Find out more about how to help at SmartWorks.org.uk.
The Reading Cure: How Books Restored My Appetite is out now. Buy your copy here.
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
In this episode of The Success Revolution interview we speak to Gender Equality campaigner and City legend Dame Helena Morrissey, who talks about being a woman in a man’s world, the reality of having nine children, how success and failure for her are closely intertwined and the mistake that nearly cost her her career.
A Good Time To Be A Girl by Helena Morrissey is out now. Buy your copy here and at all good bookstores.
This episode is recorded in support of Mothers2Mothers. Mothers2Mothers has contributed to the virtual elimination of mother to child HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. Find out more about how to help at www.m2m.org
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
In this episode of The Success Revolution, we speak to free-from foodie entrepreneur, Olivia Wollenberg. Founder of Livia’s Kitchen, who blew us away with her passion and business expertise. Olivia talks openly about her relationship with failure, how she turned her idea for Livia’s Kitchen from inside her head to inside Selfridges in just eleven weeks and how Vogue and Instagram were her unexpected tickets to ride.
You can buy Livia’s Kitchen’s gluten-free and vegan snacks at LiviasKitchen.co.uk as well as Boots, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and more.
This episode is recorded in support of the Child Brain Injury Trust. The Child Brain Injury Trust supports families devastated by childhood brain trauma. Every year thousands of families are left without any support and often feel alone with nowhere to turn to and the Child Brain Injury Trust support families and professionals who find themselves in need of information about what’s happened and how to cope. Find out more at ChildBrainInjuryTrust.org.uk
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
In this episode of The Success Revolution, we speak to kikki.K founder and motivational speaker, Kristina Karlsson. Kristina has built her global design and stationery business from scratch over the last 17 years whilst also using her platform to inspire people to live happily and with purpose. She speaks to us about the realities of starting your own business and how to dream big.
Your Dream Life Starts Here By Kristina Karlsson is out now and available to buy.
This episode is recorded in support of Tererai Trent International. Tererai Trent International works to empower rural communities in Africa so that all children have universal access to quality education, regardless of their gender or socio-economic backgrounds. Find out more at tererai.org.
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
In this episode of The Success Revolution, we speak to Melissa Hemsley, our favourite foodie of all time and one of our featured experts in our book Step Up (she is quite possibly the most generous and unfailing mentor and networker we’ve encountered in our Step Up journey). This episode took an unexpected turn as Melissa bared all about her life, her struggles, her successes and how she has her fair share of shit days in the mix. Put it this way, Melissa herself called it the best therapy session she’s ever had.
Melissa presents the Live.Life. Better. Podcast with Virgin Books and Penguin Living.
This episode is recorded in support of the Fairtrade Foundation. The Fairtrade Foundation works to empower farmers in developing countries by tackling injustice in conventional trade, in particular by promoting and licensing the Fairtrade Mark, a guarantee that products retailed in the UK have been produced fairly and ethically. By purchasing items like fruit, coffee and chocolate with the Fairtrade Mark, you are helping to ensure that farmers who grow things we love, get fair social, economic and environmental standards. Find out more at Fairtrade.org.uk.
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
In this first episode of The Success Revolution we kick things off with the outspoken Cosmo Editor Farrah Storr, who talks about the unconventional career advice she got from a member of Blur, her decision not to have children, why stress is actually a Success booster and why editing Cosmo is way riskier than you might think.
Our charity this week is Nicky’s Smile. Nicki’s Smile raises vital funds to further early pancreatic cancer diagnosis and research. Find out how to help at NickisSmile.com
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
If you enjoyed the podcast and it’s sparked some thoughts about your success, please don’t forget to leave us a rating or a review wherever you’re listening!
Head to stepupclub.co for all the show notes and links.
Welcome to The Success Revolution, the podcast that’s changing the way we talk – and think – about success. Having worked with one too many women who’s had her confidence and her identity diminished as a result of working towards an antiquated definition of success – you know it, money, power, status, etc.