Meet Shirley Lafond, a multi-talented therapist, coach, and the founder of Inner Freedoms.
After years of running her business and feeling like she was stuck on a ‘treadmill’, her mindset completely changed after seeking small business support from Digital Boost.
She saw her confidence grow, learned how to leverage AI to work smarter, not harder, and expanded her network.
This is Shirley’s story.
Sparking an Idea
Having worked as a teaching assistant for many years, Shirley was inspired to train as a therapist. She specialised in compassionate approaches that specifically support parents of neurodiverse children.
This inspiration came from her own children, where Shirley had learned to support and develop them as a mother, she realised that other parents out there needed the guidance and support of someone who’d been on that journey themselves!
And so Inner Freedoms was born.
Finding her Feet
As with anything new, there’s always a level of fear, but overwhelmingly Shirley felt ‘excited’! She’d grown up seeing her father running his own businesses and he’d always told her anything was possible. Thanks to this early exposure to entrepreneurship, she knew she could make it happen.
But even with this self-belief, Shirley admits those early years were hard. The coaching was the easy bit! But figuring out a strategy and managing business finances was hard when Shirley had never done it before.
She found herself stuck in a mundane routine that wasn’t serving her business. That’s when she started looking for small business support that could help her get off the treadmill and start seeing real growth.
Taking Part in Begin
After joining the Digital Boost community, Shirley was inspired to apply for Begin. This programme is sponsored by NatWest and run in collaboration with Digital Boost and Buy Women Built, which trains aspiring female founders to build their businesses.
Although Shirley had an established business, this programme highlighted significant gaps in her knowledge. She would often go from "A to Z really, really, really quickly," assuming customers would just find her and buy. With the learnings from Begin, she soon realised that this "very, very rarely happens."
Across the 6-week programme, Shirley was able to slow down, step back and fill in the missing parts of her customer journey. This allowed her to build a genuine connection with potential clients, leading to more sustainable growth.
With its inspirational videos from founders in the Buy Women Built community, Begin helped her see that success doesn’t happen overnight, but through deliberate, well-structured steps!
Shirley finished Begin with a new sense of clarity, ready to take her business to the next level.
After completing Begin, Shirley had a clear plan to fill the gaps in her business. She immediately threw herself into rebuilding her business and sought out a Digital Boost mentor to support her with this.
This mentoring was invaluable. Where previously Shirley didn’t think she had the skills to build a website, her mentor empowered her to learn how to manage and build it herself.
This newfound skill gave her a sense of control and ownership over her brand, ensuring the website truly reflected her vision.
Learning How to Use AI as a Small Business
With her newfound trust in Digital Boost’s small business support, Shirley applied for the AI Essentials programme. This programme was generously funded by Google.org AI Opportunity fund and supported by the Centre for Public Impact.
Before the programme, Shirley was using AI "lightly," but the course "opened up a whole other world."
She learned how to write effective prompts and the importance of ‘simple prompting’ - a skill she now uses every day. Through this programme, Shirley has trained AI to be a powerful tool for her business.
Shirley has been able to leverage AI to create everything from engaging social media content to entire email funnels. Using AI tools to integrate with Mailerlite, she’s been able to automate her customer communication.
Not only has this saved her time, but she’s also been able to nurture her audience like never before. Her newfound AI skills have made her marketing more strategic, effective and personal!
Building Confidence
Before finding the right support, Shirley was "so scared to even network, to walk into a room of other businesses." Today, that fear is gone. She's confident in who she is and what she offers, and she’s learned to accept that not everyone will be her client. As she says, "I can now accept a no. I'd actually prefer a no, and then I know where I'm at."
This confidence has led her to take on new challenges. She recently had the opportunity to record a podcast and take part in a Bloomberg Mentoring Day with Digital Boost.
A Mentoring Day with Bloomberg
Across two days, Shirley worked with her dedicated team of Bloomberg volunteers. She collaborated with them, sharing her business idea and receiving invaluable feedback.
The experience was "absolutely amazing" and "priceless," Shirley says. She learned how to improve her presentation skills, refine her business pitch, and gained better understanding of her communication style.
The Mentoring Day gave her a unique opportunity to share her business idea and get a different perspective. It’s an experience she would recommend to anyone. "It gives you a different perspective. It allows you to share your idea because that's another thing. Usually, you don't get to share your idea as much as I did on that day, which was amazing."
A group photo taken at the Bloomberg Mentoring Day!
We’ve loved watching Shirley’s growth since finding our small business support! We know there are big things on the horizon for Inner Freedoms, so make sure you follow Shirley's journey!
Inspired by Shirley's growth? Check out our small business support and see what you can achieve.
We’ve got peer learning programmes, mentoring and more to support you on your journey!
Today we're sharing a story that shows the true power of small business mentoring!
This is the story of Soni Panda's incredible journey to building By Soni Panda X - a premium gender-inclusive hosiery brand!
It's a story that goes from a single moment of panic on a 30th birthday, to a thriving hosiery empire just a few years later.
Let's dive in!
A Fashion Love Affair
For as long as she can remember, Soni has loved all things fashion.
As she grew up, she developed a special passion for hosiery after seeing the self-confidence it can bring wearers.
For many, hosiery can carry a stigma, but Soni became passionate about changing those perceptions about how and why people wear hosiery.
"Starting off with [...] stockings, you think bedroom attire, you think, you're wearing it for another person instead of yourself. And actually I wanted to change those norms."
She began writing a blog to share her love for hosiery and built a loyal following on social media!
The Birthday Panic
Soni's community loved her hosiery reviews and recommendations, but they kept asking if she'd ever considered creating her own brand.
Having never owned a business before, Soni was gripped with fear at the thought of having her own line.
But the seed of inspiration had been planted.
When Soni's 30th birthday rolled around, she had an epiphany in her hotel room!
"I literally sat on my bed and I'm like, what am I doing in my life? Am I going to start a business or not? You know what, people are onto something. Let's give it a go."
Soni decided then and there to face her fears and launch By Soni Panda X -and four years later, she's hit over 1,000 orders with a thriving global customer base!
Starting a business wasn't the glamorous journey social media often portrays. Soni quickly faced the lonely reality of being a founder, despite having her online community.
The early days hit hard and imposter syndrome crept in big time. Soni describes swinging between tears of joy and complete breakdowns questioning why she was building a business.
Navigating those feelings alone was tough, so to keep herself accountable, she started documenting her journey on YouTube and LinkedIn. Fondly referring to LinkedIn as her 'business diary', Soni says that when she's having a bad day, she can now scroll back through her 'diary' and find highlights that motivate her to keep going 😊
Finding Her People
Whilst the accountability of social media helped, Soni was still feeling alone and disconnected on her business journey. Luckily, it wasn't long until she found Digital Boost!
Soni joined the community and very quickly had the opportunity to attend a Digital Boost International Women's Day event. An event she says that "changed [her] life".
Surrounded by women at every stage of the business journey, Soni was inspired by their stories and reassured that she wasn't the only one experiencing loneliness.
By the end of the event, Soni knew she'd found a community where she'd be supported and championed!
How Small Business Mentoring Made All the Difference
While the community provided emotional support, it was Digital Boost's free mentoring that delivered the transformation Soni needed.
Initially hesitant to ask for help (something she admits she'd never been comfortable with), Soni realised Digital Boost's mentoring was "a godsend."
Soni was matched with Claire, a Digital Boost mentor and huge supporter of female founders, who quickly became an ongoing support for Soni.
Claire helped Soni tackle her perfectionist tendencies and realise that asking for help was actually a strength, not a weakness. The regular check-ins provided both strategic guidance and the accountability Soni needed to implement real changes.
"She's helped me so much. She's my accountability person. And so we kind of catch up every six weeks to two months... And it keeps me in check."
A Social Media Breakthrough
One of Soni's biggest pain points was social media overwhelm. Spending hours daily on platforms was starting to really affect her mental health ❤️🩹
Through the support of her mentors, Soni figured out how to be more strategic with her scheduling and how to show up authentically online. Scheduling her content freed up masses of time and improved her business's sales!
The transformation went deeper than just time management - Soni started showing up more authentically, sharing her real self rather than just the 'business version'. The result? Better connections and more sales.
A Marketing Jumpstart
Having several years of trading under her belt, Soni is a lifelong student and recognises the power of always learning 📚
Having enjoyed Digital Boost's small business mentoring, when the opportunity to join the Small Business Jumpstart programme arose, Soni jumped at the chance to spend 6 weeks jumpstarting her marketing!
The programme delivered immediate value, particularly with SEO and website optimisation. Soni credits this newfound knowledge with making "the world of difference" to her business visibility.
Milestone Moments
Four years after that hotel room decision, Soni has experienced what she calls "a whirlwind" of success. Since then, she's celebrated major achievements, including:
Her brand's fourth anniversary
Hitting over 1,100 orders
Completing her first public speaking engagement
Looking back, Soni recalls, "there [were] days where I thought I would never make it four years [ago]" but these milestones are a reminder of the hard work that pays off as a founder!
Soni speaking at Digital Boost's 2025 International Women's Day event, exactly a year after she first joined our community!
Conclusion
Soni's story is a true testament to the power of passion. It's this passion that helped her overcome self-doubt, loneliness, and imposter syndrome to create a thriving business.
We're so proud of the journey that Soni's been on, and we can't wait to see what she does next!
Interested in how small business mentoring could support you? Find out more below 😊
When you're building a business, you expect the late nights and the endless to-do lists. But what you might not expect - and what few people talk about - is just how lonely it can feel.
Loneliness as a small business owner is a topic that comes up a lot for our community, so we're excited to share this guest blog from Garry Lee! In this blog, he shares practical ways to navigate that isolation and build a stronger foundation for yourself and your business.
Let's dive in 👇
You expect bumps in the road as a first-time business owner. You brace yourself for the late nights, the financial uncertainty, and the endless to-do lists. What you might not expect—what few people talk about—is how lonely it can feel.
Starting a business is often romanticised. You’ll set your hours, make the choices you want and generally have a fun adventure. And while there’s some truth to that, the reality for many first-time business owners is a quiet, isolating experience—one where the weight of every decision rests squarely on your shoulders. Including lots of decisions, they don’t feel experienced or prepared to make.
If you’re feeling this way, you’re not alone. And more importantly, you don’t have to remain in this position.
Why It Feels So Lonely When You’re Starting a Business
Starting a business is filled with uncertainty. You’re wearing every hat: marketer, customer service, creator, sales, maker, accountant, and just general admin dogs body! Most of the time, it’s just you and your laptop, trying to figure out what works.
Friends and family will be supportive, but most of them won’t know what it feels like. They don’t understand the pressure of keeping the lights on, or how hard it is to stay motivated when there’s no one to share the small wins—or the big setbacks—with.
There’s also an unhealthy expectation to keep up appearances. To act like you’re confident and thriving, even when you’re unsure and exhausted. That kind of emotional disconnection only adds to the loneliness.
How Isolation Affects Your Mindset and Health
Loneliness isn’t just an unfortunate side product of being a business owner; it can genuinely affect your ability to run your business. Without someone to bounce ideas off of, doubt can creep in, and you start second-guessing everything.
In the worst cases, you question your decisions, your progress, even your decision to create the business in the first place.
Over time, this can all lead to burnout. You might find yourself drained before the day even begins, overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done and all with no one to share the load.
It’s incredibly hard and you should never see it as a weakness when you feel lonely. It’s a natural human response. We’re wired for connection—even in business.
What Makes the Early Stage Especially Hard
The beginning is generally the loneliest part because you're still finding your footing. You don’t have a team around you. There are no peers around who’ve walked the same path. And on top of that, you’re figuring out everything as you go.
One of the worst things people do is compare themselves to others on social media—those business owners who seem to have it all figured out. But you’re only seeing their highlight reels, not the moments when they are sat on their couch at midnight wondering if they’d made a huge mistake.
It’s important to focus less on the outward image others portray and instead talk to real people you know and look at yourself more.
Ways to Handle Loneliness When You're Building Alone
While the loneliness is real, there are ways to ease it—and even grow stronger through it.
Find a community. Whether it’s a local networking group, an online forum, or a mastermind, being around others who are going through similarly experiences is incredibly helpful.
Use co-working spaces. You get to be around other people working—even on different things— and that can lift your mood, give you energy and raise your mood.
Get a mentor. Find someone who’s been through this before. They will understand your rants and share how they came through the other side.
Make time outside of work. Schedule time with people who energise you. That coffee with a friend or dinner with family can be the boost you need.
Attend more events. This has the double benefit of combating loneliness AND giving you the opportunity to network with potential clients!
You don’t have to power through alone; in fact, it’s positively encouraged that you don’t. Reaching out isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s a sign of resilience. Remember that most new business owners are feeling exactly the same – but like you, they are not saying it out loud.
Conclusion
It's completely normal to question yourself and feel the quiet weight of responsibility when building something from scratch. But remember, being a solo founder doesn’t mean you have to stay isolated.
There are people who understand what you're going through and resources to help you connect with them. Reaching out isn't a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of resilience.
Why not find a local business group or meet with a mentor to talk through what you're feeling? It's amazing how having that support can make all the difference to your mindset and help you overcome the loneliness as a small business owner.
Garry is the co-founder of Thirty-Three Percent, a marketing agency that helps first-time business owners with practical strategies to make finance, marketing, management, sales and recruitment less stressful and overwhelming.
Today we're sharing Kate's journey to building Kate Edmondson Bridal! It's a story that shows the power of determination, hard graft, and how game-changing the right business support can be.
Let's dive in!
Early Years
Kate always knew she wanted to design wedding dresses. After studying at London College of Fashion and Epsom School of Art and Design, she landed roles with smaller bridal brands, but quickly hit a ceiling. Although she loved the industry, there wasn't scope for her to design – and that was her true passion.
Having decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship, Kate was lucky enough to receive a grant from The King's Trust. With this funding, she set up her bridal business from her spare room, complete with second-hand sewing equipment and big dreams!
She began promoting her business to local brides, but launching wasn't easy. She said: "It was quite overwhelming... I felt isolated and didn't really know where to turn."
Despite this, Kate persevered, quietly honing her craft and working to steadily grow her business locally.
The Search for Support
For more than a decade, Kate continued building her business alone. She tried various support programs, but nothing clicked. Most support providers "just didn't get what [she] was trying to do" and made her feel boxed in rather than empowered.
Despite years of hard work and undeniable talent, Kate felt stuck. After 10 years in business, she was still searching for help that truly understood her challenges as a creative founder. People said her work was great, but she couldn't reach the right audience.
Finding Support That Actually Works
Then came 2020. Following the Pandemic, Kate decided to give business support another shot – and this time, everything changed.
A Google search led her to Grow London Local, who referred her to Digital Boost. The experience was completely different from anything she'd encountered before!
"It was just like a different space... and I was thinking, how didn't I find [Digital Boost] before?"
Kate joined Digital Boost's Begin programme – a collaboration with NatWest and Buy Women Built that supports female founders developing product-based businesses. Having received cookie-cutter support previously, Kate now had access to personalised mentoring from experts who understood her industry, valued her creativity, and supported her to lean into her strengths as a founder.
For the first time, business support clicked for Kate!
Getting Crystal Clear on Customers
The Begin programme immediately helped Kate shift her perspective on her business.
"It was so refreshing, especially on the marketing side. I hadn't really spent time on my sales funnel or strategy – I'd been focusing only on the product."
The support helped her narrow her focus and identify exactly who her ideal client was. The programme opened up new avenues for Kate to explore: "Yes, there are brides out there – but who is your bride? Where is she? Where does she hang out?"
This focused approach helped Kate see her brand in a new light and helped her get unstuck!
Fast Results and Renewed Confidence
With a clearer understanding of her customer and a real strategy in place, Kate started seeing results almost instantly.
“I feel confident enough to do the marketing myself, which I never thought I’d be able to do.”
Kate also discovered tools that made content creation far easier – a major win, especially as a dyslexic business owner. AI tools helped with grammar and idea development, reducing her reliance on copywriters.
“I used to pay someone to write my blogs. Now I’ve found tools that help me do it myself – it’s just like, wow.”
Game-Changing Mentoring
Kate's transformation accelerated when she started working directly with Digital Boost's mentors. An SEO mentor helped her understand the technical aspects of her website that she would never have known previously. This meant that when the time came to build her website, Kate was armed with the technical knowledge to confidently brief her website team!
"I knew what to ask... even if I didn't do it myself, I could communicate clearly with the [website] expert."
However, it was her mentoring session with Riannon Palmer, the founder of Lum-uhn PR and Digital Boost mentor, that delivered the most dramatic impact. When an influencer approached Kate about a social media collaboration, despite her initial excitement, something didn't feel right. She trusted her gut and reached out to Riannon through Digital Boost for advice.
Riannon talked Kate through the process of working with influencers, explaining what to expect from collaborations and red flags to watch out for in contracts. Armed with this knowledge, Kate requested payment upfront – only to discover the influencer didn't actually have the money to pay her.
That one session potentially saved Kate thousands!
A Real Success
And where is Kate now? She's running a thriving business. It's not an overnight success because it's real.
Her dedication to learning, growing and adapting has paid off. She's armed with stronger messaging and targeted marketing, she's attracting her dream clients (including a famous film producer's daughter!), and she's more confident than ever.
And with this targeted messaging, Kate now she knows who she's speaking to, how to reach them, and that her voice matters.
"I can tell my story – no one can tell it better than me."
Hearing real founder stories like Kate's are so exciting! They show just what's possible when passion combines with the right support 🩵
If you've been inspired by Kate's story, why not see how Digital Boost's free mentoring could take your business to the next level?
All images credited to Kate Edmondson Bridal. Sources used: websiteandLinkedIn
What happens when experienced professionals donate their expertise to help small businesses thrive? The numbers tell an incredible story: 25,000 businesses supported, 180,000 hours of mentorship delivered
Behind these achievements are our small business mentors—the heart of our community. Today, we're celebrating the exceptional volunteers who went above and beyond in 2025.
The first, much-coveted award of Marketing Mentor goes to… Claire! Claire has been with us since March 2024 and in that time she's delivered over 80 mentoring sessions 🎉
With over 25 years experience working with small businesses and start-ups, Claire is an absolute power house! She helps founders nail their marketing, by making bold choices that align with their business goals. She's a huge advocate for female founders and makes it her mission to support them on their business journeys.
Praise for Claire:
“Claire is fantastic! She really knows her stuff, and helped to me to visualise and mobilize to the next level with my business vision, website and marketing plan. [Claire] seemed to be able to read my mind and gave so much support and inspiration. She also delivered some honest feedback on my website which I really appreciated - it is so hard to get this when you are a small business owner. I'm so grateful for our sessions and get a lot out of them.”
“Thank you Claire, this first session really got me thinking and gave me some achievable actions to get started with. Your enthusiasm and ability to grasp and help me explore in more detail what I am starting gave me a huge positive boost.”
Leadership mentor - George Ioannou
Meet George, our leadership mentor of 2025! George joined us in 2023 and in that time has delivered over 35 mentoring sessions for our community 🎉
Holding positions as Chief Digital Officer, investor & director, as well as being a founder himself (!), George brings an impressive level of experience to his mentoring sessions.
George has been pivotal in many mentees' journeys, offering critical leadership advice to help them expand their businesses. As an angel investor, he's even gone on to invest in some of his mentees' businesses because of the potential that he's seen!
Praise for George:
“I have now had several mentoring sessions with George, and he always goes above and beyond in each and every meeting. He is extremely knowledgeable on every topic we have covered, and I always leave each session having learnt so much and with a list of action points to attack! Thank you George, and I'll see you next time.”
“Being mentored by George has enabled true confidence in my ability to fulfil my business plan. Not only was his mentoring next level but he also provided effective and efficient practical support that has the potential to led to increased sales for my business, which is key to our survival”
Business strategy mentor - Edward Falzon
Since joining us in 2023, Edward has been an exemplary business strategy mentor!
He's delivered over 35 mentoring sessions and supported our mentees with strategy, fundraising, sustainability, and hiring a team, to name a few 🎉
Edward is a senior operations and technology leader as well as an entrepreneur and non-executive director! He brings a wealth of experience to his mentoring and his mentees love his positive and constructive approach to mentoring.
Praise for Edward:
“I had such an amazing call with Edward. He was extremely helpful in preparing me for my business pitch and gave me valuable feedback that I have now implemented. He is clearly an expert in this area. On a personal note, Edward was a delight to speak with and I felt real synergy on our call. I would highly recommend booking a mentoring session with Edward.”
“Ed has been a super supportive and enthusiastic mentor. We have met a few times now to discuss business planning and pitching and Ed helped me get to the final of a pitching competition. He joins every call with a warm welcome but also gives constructive and direct feedback as needed.”
Most enthusiastic mentor - Lucy Guthrie
This year's Most Enthusiastic Mentor award was very easy to give! If you've met Lucy, you'll know how energy is absolutely infectious.
Lucy is the founder of Mad Creative, a marketing agency helping small businesses stand out from the crowd. She joined us in 2024 through NatWest's employee volunteering programme and since then she's delivered over 40 mentoring sessions!
Whether you're having a 1:1 mentoring session, joining her Masterclasses, or even having the pleasure of hearing her talk on stage, everyone agrees, her energy is unmatched.
Everything she does is done with a smile and we couldn't think of anyone more deserving of this award this year!
Praise for Lucy:
“Lucy played a huge part in helping me progress. The tools she provided assisted me in setting up my Social Media page, and in my most recent session, she provided me with excellent advice, which I am taking with me as I progress my podcast and marketing campaign. Lucy is highly skilled and provided me with honest, useful feedback. Thank you, Lucy, and to Digital Boost; this is such a useful platform for any new business.”
“Lucy was well prepared, a great listener and really attentive to my needs and offered practical thought provoking suggestions on how I can expand my business. The session was a thoroughly enjoyable and inspirational sharing of knowledge and I can highly recommend Lucy as a mentor… Thank You Lucy for your time, energy and input - it was so beneficial and so appreciated 🙏🏻”
All-round small business mentor - Kimberley Taylor
It’s difficult to pick just one person who shone this year, but Kimberley really went above and beyond for Digital Boost!
Kimberley is the founder of Pink Giraffe Marketing and she helps small businesses get confident marketing their businesses.
Through her volunteering, Kimberley has delivered over 40 mentoring sessions, supported us with speed mentoring sessions at our in-person events and, most recently, facilitated our Small Business Jumpstart programme 🚀
Kimberly has thrown herself into volunteering over the last year and we couldn't be prouder of the work that she's done 🩵
Praise for Kimberley:
“A lovely conversation that has really helped me get some much-needed oversight to my marketing situation, many thanks!”
“Kimberley… you built a rapport with me within seconds and I instantly felt like I’ve known you for a while. You were very easy to talk to and as a result I was completely myself. You also understood very quickly where my stumbling block was (social media) and told me to take one platform at a time. I needed to hear that… in addition you gave me some homework to do and hopefully we will have a catch up session in a couple of weeks where I can tell you about all the rambling posts I’m doing on Instagram …I would have you as my mentor any time and I’m so happy to have met you.”
Rising star - Shafaq Shams
So many incredible volunteers have joined our community this year and we’re very excited to announce Shafaq as our Rising Star of 2025!
Shafaq began mentoring with us through the BT volunteering programme. She is a senior commercial manager and has a wealth of experience having worked at Vodafone, BT and now Gamma!
Shafaq was encouraged to host a Masterclass with us through her employee volunteering programme. Her session was a huge success and she's gone on to deliver fantastic mentoring sessions for our community. 🎉
Shafaq is continuing to mentor with Digital Boost, sharing her invaluable experience and skills to help founders thrive. We're excited to see what the future holds for Shafaq 🌟
Praise for Shafaq:
“Shafaq not only helped me understand the many points I raised in a long list of questions but she also went above and beyond to offer help and assistance. I came away with several pages of scribbled notes and so many ideas that my challenge now is to find the time to action everything! It was an inspiring session and I left it energised.”
“Shafaq is extremely knowledgeable in the area of pricing strategy which is what I wanted to hear. Given her very recent and lengthy background in large commercial organisations her inside experience and mindset was particularly relevant to us since this is our target audience.”
Outstanding Service Awards
This year, we recognised small business mentors in our community who have delivered outstanding service throughout their time with Digital Boost.
All our winners have delivered hundreds of mentoring sessions, delivered exceptional Masterclasses, and/or supported us at in-person events and beyond.
We're extremely grateful for their incredible support and we're delighted to be recognising their outstanding service to Digital Boost! 🎉
We’re extremely fortunate to have such a wonderful community of small business mentors, giving their time to founders and making a difference in the world.
If you’ve ever volunteered with us, we just want to say a huge thank you - we appreciate you!
If you’ve been inspired by our Small Business Mentors of the Year and fancy joining our community of volunteers - we’d love to have you onboard! 🥳
When Stefania left her stable job in retail management to become a freelance graphic designer, she knew she was taking a leap. What she didn’t yet know was that Digital Boost's mentoring for entrepreneurs would be the missing piece to take her from uncertainty to growth. Through mentoring, she’s overcome overwhelm, developed confidence, and been inspired to mentor others too.
A Creative Leap
Like many entrepreneurs, Stefania found her passion early in life. She was a budding artist in school and later studied graphic design and marketing. She went on to build a long and successful career in fashion retail. But after discovering yoga, Stefania’s goals began to shift.
Yoga unlocked the courage Stefania needed to leave her stable job and return to her creative roots. She retrained as a graphic designer, started freelancing and started her new chapter as a brand design coach.
Digital Boost's Mentoring for Entrepreneurs
Although Stefania had the passion and skill, she soon realised that the “business” side of being her own boss was unfamiliar territory. She struggled with pricing, marketing, and self-promotion, and realised she needed a helping hand.
A friend mentioned Digital Boost, a platform that offers free mentoring for entrepreneurs. Stefania had never heard of Digital Boost, but decided to take a chance.
She was hesitant, believing it was too good to be true. But to her delight, there was no cost to Digital Boost’s services! Stefania said:
“The fact that it was free, was helpful because I was at the stage, [...] of setting up my own business. So having the kind of support and being free, it helped me manage my other expenses as well.”
The perfect match
Stefania sent a mentoring request to Digital Boost’s mentors and was matched in her first week with Martina.
“I knew from the first call. She was amazing,” Stefania recalls. “It’s so nice to have someone you can bounce ideas off and know they’re going to keep you accountable — but also just be there.”
What began as a single session turned into a long-term mentoring relationship that’s still going today!
“[Mentoring] helped me get that confidence at the beginning, when I had none,” Stefania explains. “Having access to someone who really knew digital marketing and could just tell me, ‘Right, this is how you can plan your content, here’s how ads work’—that made such a difference.”
Real-life growth
With Martina, Stefania was able to not only build her confidence but make tangible progress with her business too.
In each session, Martina would support Stefania with an action plan. She’d help Stefania break her big goals into manageable steps. “I’d always come out of those sessions knowing exactly what to do next,” Stefania says. “It wasn’t just emotional support — it was real, practical advice.”
Through this support, Martina guided and challenged Stefania to think differently. She challenged Stefania to think about her pricing, how she marketed herself, how she converted clients. “She told me I could charge more. I didn’t believe her at first,” Stefania laughs. “But she was right. I saw it for myself — clients didn’t push back.”
Stefania had taken courses previously, but mentoring was different. She said: “I think if I’d just done a course, I’d have watched the videos and then forgotten about them. [...] with mentoring, it was personalised. It was real-time. I could ask, ‘This client said this — what do I do?’ and get an answer that helped right then.”
Giving Back Through Mentoring
Inspired by her own mentoring experience, Stefania realised she could help others with her design and marketing skills!
Stefania now volunteers as a Digital Boost volunteer so that she can give back and support others.
“Because I know how much it helped me — especially in those first months — I want to offer that to someone else now,” she says. “Even if it’s just helping someone see that they’re not alone, that they can do it… that’s huge.”
Conclusion
From listening to her intuition and beginning her entrepreneurial journey, to totally skyrocketing her confidence and her sales, to giving back to the community, Stefania’s story is a tale of inspiration.
Her story is proof that with the right support, anything is possible.
“I still message Martina now and again, even if it’s just to say thank you,” Stefania says, smiling. “Because I wouldn’t be where I am without her.”
Inspired by Stefania’s story? Why not try our mentoring and see what’s possible?
Today we're sharing the story of small jewellery business, Bottlebee! 🐝 Bottlebee started off as a creative outlet for its founder Seena. She never dreamed her hobby would turn into a thriving small business. But several years later, and with a little help from Mila Kunis(!), Bottlebee is a fully fledged small business. Here's how Seena turned her passion into a successful business👇
A creative side project
As a child, Seena was always surrounded by creativity. She fondly remembers making candles with her mother in the kitchen and being fascinated by the process!
As she transitioned through life, she never lost that spark of creativity and love of creating.
She built an incredible career in TV production, but she missed some of that early creativity. So she started making beaded bracelets and necklaces as a hobby.
Seena enjoyed it so much that she was inspired to take a silversmithing course to hone her skills even more. She slowly started to collect tools and materials to explore her new hobby. But she remembers thinking at the time that it was 'just a little hobby [...] that's all it was'.
📸 : https://www.bottlebee.co.uk/
From Side Hustle to Success
What started as a hobby slowly evolved into something more. Seena registered Bottlebee as a trademark and registered for hallmarking too! When not at her day job, she was creating jewellery and uploading small amounts to her Etsy store.
She recalls how excited she would get when a 'cha-ching' notification came through from an Etsy order!
In 2016, an unexpected breakthrough happened. "I was at work, and it was just a normal day, and my phone kept on going off with this Etsy 'ching'," Seena recalls. She later realised that Mila Kunis had gone viral with an interview where she shared that she'd bought her engagement ring from Etsy 💍
With a spike in searches for rings on Etsy, Seena received more orders and gained confidence in her small business!
"Etsy got me started, and then I just slowly built it up and started making more. And the more orders you get, the more confident you become"
With the arrival of Covid, Seena took the leap to quit her TV career and focus on her business full-time. And the rest is history!
Finding support to grow a small jewellery business
Now working full-time in her business, Seena realised she had more time on her hands to learn key business skills!
She stumbled across Digital Boost on Instagram. Seena tried out a few Masterclasses and saw that applications were open for a 6-week Small Business Jumpstart course!
Seena wasn't sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised to find that the course 'led [her] down a whole different route of spending more time on [her] business'.
From reviewing her website to learning about SEO and keyphrases, Jumpstart helped Seena understand and spend more time on areas of her business that needed some love.
"I didn't really know a lot about Digital Boost at the time and how powerful it was and how much help and how supportive everyone is"
How mentoring helped Bottlebee get seen
Armed with newfound knowledge and confidence from Jumpstart, Seena threw herself into revamping her website and focusing on getting sales through organic search.
Although happy with the website she'd carefully designed and created years before, Seena had a breakthrough in a mentoring session that changed everything.
Her mentor reminded her that a website is just a digital storefront. So she needed to be clearer in directing customers where to go and ensure they had a great shopping experience. With a few small tweaks, Seena was able to improve her website experience thanks to her mentor's advice.
"Before Digital Boost, I didn't have a clue. [...] Digital Boost and the mentors are helping me implement and make sure that I get higher visibility."
Finding community
Having come from the world of TV production, Seena was used to having a team around her to bounce energy off. She admits 'that working by yourself is very solitary' and that she missed the 'companionship' of being in a big team.
Although Seena wasn't expecting it, in Digital Boost she found not only support but community! 🩵
"Digital Boost has been a bit like a community," Seena explains. "When you're doing the masterclasses, there's 50 people on the call. When you're doing one-to-ones, you're talking to someone about your business […] It was just nice to meet people who are all in the same position."
Advice for aspiring small jewellery businesses
"I would say, if anyone's just starting out, use Digital Boost. Use all the mentors. You can have as many mentors as you want. Try them all out. Just find one which you gel with, which gives good advice and persevere. And it is a support network. So if you're not sure of anything, there will be someone to help you, whether it's another small business owner or a mentor, you'll find help."
Conclusion
We're so inspired by Seena's story! We're all guilty of wanting overnight success, but Seena's story is a great example of what steady and sustainable growth looks like. From pure passion project to honing her craft and steadily building a loyal following, Bottlebee is a triumph and we look forward to supporting Seena for many years to come 🥰
If you've been inspired by Seena's story to turn your passion into a business, why not tap into our free support?
From 1:1 mentoring sessions, live Masterclasses, and accelerator programmes, we have so much support here for you 🚀
In November, through our partnership with Mastercard and their Thrive Street initiative, members of our community had pop-up shops in the Bullring Birmingham, with inspiration from Mary Portas OBE and Masterclasses, including one from us on mentoring!
One of the small business owners from our community who took part in the event was Rachel, founder of Give Yourself Kindness. Read her experiences, in her own words 👇
Digital Boost is an amazing place for connection - and in business, connection is so important.
I got a very exciting late-night email from Karen Licurse the Managing Director of Digital Boost about an exciting event bringing together 5 small businesses in the Midlands to host a pop-up in the center of the Bull Ring on a weekend in November. What an amazing opportunity - what an exciting late-night email.
A couple of weeks later, I packed up, my normally online business, Give Yourself Kindness - passionate to share tools (beautiful tools in the words of Mary Portas) to nurture a kinder inner dialogue for us all - and headed to the Bull Ring.
The event oozed warmth and connection and the power and energy of small business. Together we brought small business to the city center and it was clear that the person behind the business mattered. In a world where online is powerful and digital is important - it showed me that there is still a massive place for in-person. Especially, when in-person events can be shared online - so everyone can be a part of it through social media. I learned that it is not always in-person or online - there is opportunity and space for both.
The event was opened by small business champion, Mary Portas, and her energy and warmth felt very special. She made time to talk to, support and advise all our businesses - an opportunity that I will forever value.
The joy of the event was the whole weekend - I really love having an online business and I love being able to reach people and send my products across the world - but getting to speak in person to customers also feels so important. This weekend created an amazing opportunity for that.
There also felt a power in small businesses coming together. Running a small business can feel like a lonely place sometimes - part of the reason I connected with Digital Boost - and this event allowed an amazing space for us small business owners to learn and inspire each other. It’s amazing how different, businesses can look on the outside - but delving deeper we all had connecting passions, challenges, and inspirations.
I cannot thank you Karen and everyone at Digital Boost enough - and I also want to take this opportunity to recommend Digital Boost to everybody. The value of external advice is enormous - we are all so passionate about our businesses, and this is a wonderful thing - but it can mean it’s hard to see an outsider's view. And with Digital Boost it’s not just an outsider, but an expert that wants to help.
Also if you’re reading this and want to say hey, please reach out and also check out my business and passion Give Yourself Kindness - and find my expert-recommended wellness tools to make self-compassion easier. I’ve worked with experts around the world to create the best tools to support the mind. The mind can be a tricky place sometimes - I wanted to create tools that worked - and could really help.
Rachel is one of the amazing businesses in our community that we've been able to support through our free business mentoring. Would you like to take part in future events like this? Join our Digital Boost community and we’ll keep you updated on all opportunities we have to showcase your small business!
In the fast-paced world of startups, it feels like most stories we hear are overnight successes. But what we love about our Digital Boost community is the variety of entrepreneurs and stories we have! It's why stories like Abi's are so important to spotlight and celebrate. Success doesn't happen overnight, it's a slow burner, but the results are still amazing 🙌
Thanks to our mentoring for startups, Abi was able to get her idea off the ground and build something she's really proud of. She's seen her confidence grow, had great press for her business, and done this all whilst holding down her 9-5 job! This is Abi's story 👇
Like all startups, Abi's business began with a passion and a gap in the market! With a background in science and a natural affinity for learning, Abi noticed that there were next to no experiences or events celebrating science. With the rise of 'sip and paint' or similar experiences in the wake of Covid, Abi noticed no one was doing science-based events. She realised that she could transform her passion for science into an immersive experience - and so the idea for the Lit Laboratory was born 🎉
Figuring things out
Although she had experience in corporate businesses, Abi didn't necessarily have all the tools she needed to grow her business. Like any budding entrepreneur, she threw herself into her idea and figured things out as she went along! She recalls her first ever Lit Laboratory fondly where she invited her friends and family to do experiments in her mum's church to work out how to structure her events! With their encouragement, she started seriously working towards building up her startup.
Accessing local startup support
Abi was introduced to Grow London Local, a local support team that helped her to build on her business idea and work out how to make it viable. She received amazing support and was able to sit down with an advisor and get quick, accessible support to understand what her business could look like in 5 years. Abi recalls that the support helped her think about the future of her business which she'd never considered before! Through Grow London Local, Abi was referred to Digital Boost for marketing and business strategy support to build her startup.
Discovering Digital Boost
"Digital Boost was a game-changer for me [...] having access to experienced mentors who could guide me through the challenges was invaluable"
As much as Abi's family and friends supported her, Abi felt like she'd almost run out of favours. And because her startup was so unique, as much as they tried to help, they didn't always have the answers she needed. That's where Digital Boost came in!
Through Digital Boost, Abi could access thousands of experienced mentors whenever she needed. As someone building a side hustle alongside her 9-5, Abi could meet with mentors at a time that suited her and join Masterclasses around her work schedule.
The role of startup mentoring
Mentoring became Abi's secret weapon as she built her startup! Her mentors helped her understand her business model better, sharpen her marketing strategies, and connect more deeply with her audience.
A turning point was a Masterclass on email marketing, where Abi learned the value of building a community of engaged followers instead of just chasing social media numbers. "The Masterclass on email marketing changed my whole business model," Abi says. "I completely underestimated the importance of building an engaged audience."
One piece of advice from one of her mentor stood out: "Treat each event like a launch." This shifted Abi's approach completely and allowed her to have fun with each event and see it as an experiment that she could tweak and improve with each launch!
Abi reflected on that advice when sharing her story with us: "That still feels very real. Every time I run an event, I'm much clearer now on what I'm trying to achieve."
Navigating challenges with mentoring
As with every startup, things aren't always plain sailing! After spending months building her Instagram following, Abi's business account was suddenly suspended. With no reason or guidance on how to fix it, Abi turned to her mentors for support. Abi's mentor was there to help her stay calm and find alternative ways to keep her business growing. Thinking back to that time, Abi remembers how "having a mentor to turn to in that moment was incredibly reassuring."
When asked what piece of advice she'd give other startups, Abi reflects: "Don't worry about what you don't know. You'll find ways to ask the right questions and people to help you answer them."
Celebrating the wins
Although there were challenges, Abi has seen huge success with her startup! She's steadily built a community of loyal followers and had some amazing press for her business. "The day my Instagram went down, I also got featured in Time Out," Abi recalls. "It was a day of highs and lows, but the support from my community and mentors kept me going."
Since we interviewed Abi, she was also invited to speak on her first panel discussion! As part of our International Women's Day event, Abi joined a panel of female founders to share her story. This was her first speaking event as a founder and she absolutely smashed it! The audience loved hearing Abi's honest account of her first year as a startup and she shared inspiring advice that's stuck with us. You can watch the panel discussion here.
Conclusion
We're unbelievably proud of Abi and the journey she's been on with her startup! Abi's story is a testament to determination and figuring things out. It also shows just how important mentoring for startups is. With nearly a million businesses registered in 2023, the UK is leading the way in startups and small businesses. But making sure those startups are properly supported and nurtured is key to them succeeding.
We're delighted to have been even a small part of Abi's journey and we look forward to supporting her and many others as they build their startup businesses 🚀
📸 All images shared courtesy of Lit Laboratory London.
Feeling inspired by Abi's startup story? 😊
We have thousands of mentors in our community, ready to support you on your business journey!
All our mentoring is totally free and unlimited to access - get started here 👇
Finding the right guidance can be transformative when you're a creative entrepreneur. Meet Kate, founder of Kate Walton Collections who's had this exact experience with Digital Boost! through Digital Boost's creative business mentoring, Kate's business is thriving 🚀
Kate is a talented artist who transformed her passion for painting into a flourishing wallpaper & prints business. Thanks to the support of her mentors Kate has been able to grow her business, securing deals with amazing interior brands and outgrowing her studio! You can watch Kate's interview here or read the full interview below 👇
https://youtu.be/WufLN7knRpg
A creative past
At the beginning of her journey, Kate created beautiful hand-painted murals. However, being a mother challenged her to start thinking differently about her business. On-site murals were becoming hard to juggle alongside childcare, so Kate began exploring other avenues for her business. With her love of painting, she found herself drawn to creating hand-painted wallpapers.
Whilst creating wallpaper was a new avenue for Kate, her designs found traction in the interiors space thanks to the beautiful designs that were inspired by Kate's countryside upbringing.
Navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship
Kate admits that those early days were more about 'rediscovering [her] identity as an artist'. She also says that when she first started her business, it didn't feel like a real business! As a creative starting a business, there's so much passion poured into your art sometimes it can be challenging to see the business side of things initially.
Although incredibly talented as an artist, Kate jokes that she wasn't the most organised when she first started her business. She acknowledges that she didn't necessarily have a business plan or marketing on her radar, so knew she needed support to grow her business!
Finding Digital Boost
Knowing that she needed strategic support, Kate found Digital Boost's free mentoring platform. Kate could browse thousands of mentors and filter by topics that she wanted support with to find the perfect mentors to meet her needs.
With Digital Boost, it meant I could really look through and find who was best suited to what I needed
Kate was supported with her business strategy, website and marketing by Digital Boost's mentors, and saw tangible results and a growth in confidence thanks to their mentorship.
The power of personalised support
With creative businesses, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't always work because the business is so unique! That's why Digital Boost's mentoring was the perfect fit for Kate and her business.
She was able to meet with experts 1:1 and get truly personalised support that addressed the needs of her unique business.
Ian played a crucial role in helping Kate to navigate the challenges of running a creative business. He reviewed Kate's website and helped her to optimise it to increase website conversion. Focusing specifically on SEO optimisation, Ian helped Kate to upskill and learn all about SEO and how to use it to organically grow her business. SEO was totally new to Kate, but through Ian's support, she's now confident using tags and optimising her content to rank for SEO in her industry. Kate noted that her website had a 'complete turnaround' thanks to Ian's SEO support!
Building confidence
As a solopreneur and creative business owner, feedback can be hard to come by. This is why mentoring has been so impactful for Kate; having a mentor means she has access to feedback and can 'bounc[e] energies' and ideas with someone!
As a result of Digital Boost's mentoring, Kate feels less 'stressed' about her business. All her plans 'are laid out in [her] head in a more organised way' now thanks to mentoring!
Additionally, Kate has also seen her belief and self-confidence increase thanks to the support and championship of mentors like Ian!
Celebrating wins as a founder
When we asked Kate what she was most proud of, she had two wins!
She secured a collaboration with Lick, a luxury paint brand, that showcased 3 exclusive Kate Walton wallpaper - you can see the campaign here 😍
At the time of our interview, Kate had outgrown her studio and was building her dream space! ✨ Thanks to all her hard work and the support of her mentors, Kate's business is growing and we couldn't be prouder of how far she's come!
We're looking forward to seeing more gorgeous prints and wallpapers as Kate's business grows and we can't wait to see the new studio too 😍
If you've been inspired by Kate's mentoring story, why not try our mentoring for yourself!
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