Hey Weirdos! This week's Professional Weirdo is Paul Fenton, the founder of Big Friendly Giants. Paul shares his unique career journey, from his early days in rugby and media to his current focus on storytelling and supporting business through innovative media solutions. He discusses the importance of personal growth, the influence of his family and coaches, and how his faith shapes his approach to business. The conversation touches on the need for transparency, creativity, and strong values in business, as well as the significance of creating multiple touch points for effective marketing. Not only do we hear Paul's varied and exciting journey but we also look at how you can improve your business messaging and ethos. Paul believes mistakes and failures are opportunities for growth and shares his own wisdom and stories to inspire and get some lightbulb moments in this interesting hour long episode.

DISCLAIMER

Please bear with us on the audio this week as we have switched to a new provider and there are a few tiny split second glitches throughout. Please bear with it as it's still a great episode and we are ironing out the hitches ready for next week's episode!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Paul Fenton and Cornwall Life

02:27 Paul's Journey from Wigan to Cornwall

04:34 Career Beginnings: Rugby and Commentary

09:51 Influences and Personal Development

15:41 The Role of Confidence and Upbringing

21:26 The Impact of Mentorship and Support

26:58 The Birth of Big Friendly Giants

30:10 Setting Standards in Business

34:12 The Power of Digital Storytelling

37:50 Engaging Through Personal Narratives

40:37 Integrating Digital and Real-World Experiences

45:47 Transformative Community Impact

58:46 Faith as a Foundation for Purpose

HOW TO CONNECT WITH PAUL

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-fenton-9b4088108/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bfg_mobiledigiboard/

If you've enjoyed this episode, please rate, review or share to your socials. Don't forget to tag @workitweirdo and give us a follow on Instagram.

Www.workitweirdo.co.uk

Let's get weird!

Cassie

x

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Hey Weirdos! You may want to grab the Kleenex for this one (other tissue brands are available!) as we hear the most incredible and uplifting story of hope, intuition and the true power of mindset with Mary Tomlinson, creator of Mary Ellen.

Mary is a mindset-obsessed custom and cremation handmade jeweller who loves spreading love, positivity, health and inspiring others through her own health journey.

In this inspirational episode, Mary shares how she went from Banking to Biz Babe, How she mastered the power of Mindset to achieve her dream career, and how her intuition LITERALLY saved her life.

As well as listening to Mary's unbelievable business journey, setting up Cremation jewellery business, Mary Ellen, she also shares her dramatic Blood Cancer diagnosis story, and how her positive mindset has got her through this life-changing time.

We also cover some meaty and oh-so-relatable topics such as:

• Staying true to yourself
• Finding your niche
• Being YOU in a saturated market
• Blocking out the negative opinions and sniggers of others
• Customer impact and the power of reviews
• Self-sabotage and getting out of your own way
• Balancing Motherhood
• Tuning into and changing your inner voice

Mary is a truly phenomenal woman with a burning passion, a sunshine spirit and a pure heart who is proof we can live our dream authentic life, no matter what curveballs life throws our way. What an inspiration!

MARY'S LINKS:

Website - https://maryellen.co.uk/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/maryellent22/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p/Mary-Ellen-100087881774551/

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Noor Hibbert - https://www.thisisyourdream.com/

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Hey Weirdos! We are kicking things back off for 2025 with a badass babe who is not only going to make you feel better for not necessarily starting the year with a productive bang, but she's also going to share heaps of wisdom about pivoting your business, aligning, stepping into the next level of yourself and levelling the F up in life. Yes, there's a bit of swearing in this one!

Welcome to Professional Weirdo, Jenna Sinclair, an award winning food blogger turned business coach for fearless femalepreneurs, lifelong creative, musical comedy writer and malamute dog mum. she 10xed her biz income in 2024 while living in 13 different houses and executing a wedding and an international move.

Join us in just under an hour of inspiring chats as we cover subjects such as:

• Following your bursts and callings as a creative
• Getting back to it after a break
• Recalibrating or pivoting your business
• Positive Psychology
• Aligning to the seasons
• What to do when you feel stuck in business
• How to not recreate your 9-5
• The power of changing your environment
• Epigenetics
• Why are you making rules for yourself?
• Quantum leaping and inviting in a new reality
• Enrobed cognition
• Blue Mind and nature for growth
• Saying no to work that doesn't light you up

This was such a great chat with lots of book and podcast recommendations for the new year too, links of which are all in the show notes below.

Thanks so much Jenna for sharing your vibe with us!

JENNA'S LINKS

Website - www.jennasinclair.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jenna_sinclair_coaching?igsh=ZjlkYnhhcWVuZm9s

The Spiritual Sofapreneur (Jenna's Podcast) - https://open.spotify.com/show/3PVx4zE6fERqQiDEeKWu1y?si=T0D9V5BQSsyCbC8n1dhg8g

The Artist's Way - https://amzn.eu/d/eqWW2MK

Shoshanna Raven - https://shoshannaraven.com/

Wintering Well with Francesca Amber - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Eto9YCkThl5oDpuCGHiBu?si=LZNGII0zTIOqSNt4biMIgw

Big Magic - https://amzn.eu/d/1a9yoAA

Denise DT - https://open.spotify.com/show/5RtAeja3hIHF5QI0CZBVHt?si=iVMHb6phQYuYeATTRFxuRg

Jacquelyn Atkins Meditation - https://insighttimer.com/jacquelyn/guided-meditations/meet-you-business-meditation

Libby Langley's episode - https://open.spotify.com/episode/0e1GDJWxa2kJDvNE7RRh4V?si=4Z6stDdLTHq_wHCHSJ_SCA

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Hey Weirdos!

I've been dying to get this talented and entrepreneurial girl on for a while and I'm thrilled to welcome the incredible Gemma Lessinger as this week's Professional Weirdo!

Gemma is a textural seascape artist, creative experience creator and female business mentor. She is on a mission to crush the illusion of the 'starving artist', to show everyone the power of creativity for mental wellbeing, as well as sharing her retail business knowledge with women from all industries, showing them that they too can turn their hobby into a thriving and profitable business.

In this episode, we chat all things Creativity - how to work with it, harness it, develop it, wrestle with it, schedule it, monetise it and nurture it.

SUCH an interesting conversation for all creatives who juggle creating and making as well as running the business side of the show. I know you'll get so much out of this episode.

Gemma also works with many non-creatives in her role as a Business Mentor, so whatever industry you're in, you'll definitely get some great takeaways from this inspirational hour long chat.

Join us as we hear Gemma's journey from Retail Buyer to Successful Artist, despite having not picked up a paintbrush for almost 20 YEARS! Yes, you read that correctly. Told you this was inspiring stuff.

We also talk about:

• The feeling of something missing
• Finding your calling
• The Freedom of self employment
• Packaging your knowledge
• The creative process
• Revenue opportunities for artists and makers
• Why everyone should be creative

This is one you aren't going to want to miss - I mean, in the first few minutes we talk about how we first met with me taking a photo of Gemma's rear - intrigued? Give it a listen!

If you've enjoyed this episode, please rate, review or share to your socials. Don't forget to tag @workitweirdo and give us a follow on Instagram.

Www.workitweirdo.co.uk

Let's get weird!

Cassie

x

GEMMA'S LINKS:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gemmalessingerart

Paintings - https://www.gemmalessinger.com/paintings

Creative Experiences - https://www.gemmalessinger.com/creativeexperiences

Business Mentorship - https://www.gemmalessinger.com/mentorship

March 2025 Wellbeing Event - https://www.gemmalessinger.com/waves-of-wellbeing-day-retreat

Homeware - https://www.gemmalessinger.com/glaccessories

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Hey Weirdos!

On today's episode, we are joined by The Sales Maverick herself, the one and only Jay-Anne. With a heart for empowering women and a mind sharpened by years in the financial services and sales industries, our guest isn't just an entrepreneur; she carved her own path through male-dominated spaces, broke through generational trauma and now dedicates her life to helping women in business and sales find their voices and build impactful legacies.

The founder of Life Is Too Short, a company she created to disrupt the norms and champion women through will writing, business coaching, and her unmatched expertise in sales, Jay-Anne brings a unique blend of strategy, coaching, and sales skills that transforms her clients’ lives. She’s on a mission to arm women with the tools they need to succeed, turning obstacles into opportunities and goals into achievements.

Jay-Anne also co-founded Geni-Ease and Authentic Women, as well as various other exciting projects which we will discuss.

In this episode we chat about:

• Finding your voice
• Taking up space
• Changing your mindset
• Owning your genius
• Collaboration over competition
• Changing careers or industries
• Finding the core values between your passions
• Being changemakers and mavericks as women in business

Such an incredible chat with an extraordinary woman who brings so much wisdom and energy through all her aligned ventures.

If you've enjoyed this episode, please rate, review or share to your socials. Don't forget to tag @workitweirdo and give us a follow on Instagram.

Www.workitweirdo.co.uk

Let's get weird!

Cassie

x

JAY-ANNE'S LINKS:

Geni Ease - https://geniease.co.uk/

Authentic Women - https://www.facebook.com/groups/womeninbusinesslounge

The Sales Maverick on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesalesmaverick/

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Hey Weirdos!

It's that time of year where we start thinking about the R word in the background - Resolutions! But don't worry, I'm not going to dive straight into that today, we are tackling the topic of 'Making space for new', so just starting to think about the new things that we want 2025 to bring. I'm going to be talking through why I believe making space in your life, both physically and mentally is transformative for calling in the things we want to attract. I'll also share a few anecdotes of when I've made space that has led to manifestations and bringing dreams into my reality. We end with some food for thought with some practical tips to look at your own life and work out where you can make space, what needs to go, what needs to come in and how we can all make 2025 our best year yet!

If you've enjoyed this episode, please rate, review or share to your socials. Don't forget to tag @workitweirdo and give us a follow on Instagram.

www.workitweirdo.co.uk

Let's get weird!

Cassie

x

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey Weirdos!

It's time for another Professional Weirdo! Today, I have the absolute pleasure of introducing an extraordinary woman, Kate, an Eco-chic warrior, who turned a life-changing event into a powerful mission. Five years ago, Kate survived a subarachnoid brain haemorrhage, an experience that made her realise how precious life is and that tomorrow is never promised. This sparked her passion to create Flotsam Flo, inspired by her beloved late Granny Florence, where she upcycles broken wetsuits, lifejackets, inflatables, banners, and other hard-to-recycle materials into stunning, eco-friendly bags and accessories. Kate's incredible work has earned her a Judge's Commendation for Circular Economy at the Cornwall Sustainability Awards, and her commitment to sustainability extends beyond her creations—she also runs workshops to inspire others to think differently about waste.

In this episode, Kate talks about her journey, how tragedy and pain inspired her to grab life by the horns and be her true self, as well as chatting to us about how she gets waste, her process, incredible companies she's partnering with, what she's up to and how she's flying the flag for sustainability. Let’s give a huge welcome to the resilient, innovative, and inspiring Kate!

SHOW NOTES:

Kate's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/flotsam_flo/

Website - www.flotsamflo.co.uk

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Clive Kessell - https://www.instagram.com/clivekessell

Biffa - https://www.biffa.co.uk/

Oh so Social - https://www.instagram.com/ohsosocialmarketing

The F Word with Matthew from Cornwall Pride - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c97XG4-L3U&list=PLFmrBM3a-DObZSVRLi5QHDSDXIl8C6AX5&index=17

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Hey Weirdos! It's another solo episode this week, and would you look at that, she's only gone and got the duration down to 20 minutes! She's in her Efficiency era! It's a fun and light episode today, all about a juicy topic - Signs from the Universe. How does it all work? What in the incense stick am I talking about? Is it all a load of tosh or is there any truth in this?

I personally believe that signs from the universe, (or 'Life' if you prefer to be less woo), can lead us in the right direction, give us pointers, affirm our current beliefs, change our course or even give us the answer to a big decision.

In this episode I talk through 3 short stories of how I've used signs from the universe - 2 that came out of the blue that lead to big actions, and one that I asked for in making an aligned decision. Manifestation comes from the action we take after opportunity, so it's important that we first look for the magic in opportunity in order to take the course that is meant for us.

I'll give you tips on how you can work with signs from the universe to give you the guidance you need in life and business, because as we all know, they are so interlinked.

I'm a firm believer in fate, destiny, but also co-creating our reality and using a positive mindset and perspective to shape our future. I hope you enjoy listening along and I would LOVE to hear about any signs from the universe you receive or request.

If you've enjoyed this episode, please rate, review or share to your socials. Don't forget to tag @workitweirdo and give us a follow on Instagram.

Www.workitweirdo.co.uk

Let's get weird!

Cassie

x

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.