Small Business, Big Network

Latest Episodes:

Dan Willers: From Aardman to the Animate Devon CIC Dec 15, 2025

Show notes

Dan Willers is the founder of Yellow Mouse Studios based in Devon. As a 2D and 3D designer and animator he has worked for some of the coolest companies around including Aardman and Paramount.

As well as Yellow Mouse, Dan also runs a Community Interest Company, 'Animate Devon', to support the animation and creative community in the county. This provides talks and education, skill sharing, project collaboration, work opportunities and other support/outreach projects to everyone who is on the journey into animation. Whether that's a student, a graduate or a 20's years in professional.

Website: Yellowmousestudios.co.uk

Website: Animatingdevon.com

https://www.instagram.com/yellowmousestudios/

linkedin.com/company/yellow-mouse-studios-ltd

This episode is very kindly sponsored by The Content Consultancy, founded by Content Confidence Coach, Kate Llewellyn. Tell me, are you a business owner who finds content creation overwhelming or inconsistent?

It's time to stop doing what you think you "should" or "must." It's time to start doing your marketing, your way!

Kate helps serious entrepreneurs and business leaders cut through the noise to build a powerful content strategy that actually drives growth.

Join her membership, The Confident Content Creators Club, for the structure and clarity you need to Plan with Purpose and Create Content with Confidence.

Ready for an immediate mindset shift?

Grab Kate’s free, four-day Content Confidence Audio Series. It’s designed to instantly help you identify your limiting beliefs and the specific barriers stopping your content creation success.

Sign up today and stop letting self-doubt drive your business marketing: thecontentconsultancy.com/content-confidence-audio

Aminata Diallo: Networking builds your reputation as well as your career Dec 08, 2025

Show notes

My guest this week on the Small Business Big Network podcast is Aminata Diallo.

Aminata is a French native originally from Mali, West Africa. She has been working in digital marketing and affiliate strategies for over 20 years, primarily in the gambling industry.

In 2013, she launched Afiliapub, first in Costa Rica, then expanded to Madrid and Rio de Janeiro and is now planning to open in Nigeria.

Her mission is to help businesses grow their online visibility, and revenue through performance-based marketing. Since her niche is the gambling industry, especially sports betting, she believe our success comes from a mix of expertise and strong industry connections.

She says that networking has helped her build her reputation as well as helping her career.

The L&D Detective: Networking for business and non-profits Dec 01, 2025

Show notes

Kevin M. Yates is known in the global training, learning, and talent development community as the L&D Detective®. He solves measurement mysteries and investigates how training and development as an experience and L&D as a function contribute to the workplace performance ecosystem.

Kevin uses facts, clues, and evidence to uncover the truth about impact, focusing on collective contributions that influence business and human performance. He has used his measurement expertise in roles with world-renowned brands including Grant Thornton, Kantar, McDonald’s, and Meta (Facebook).

He is also president and founder of Meals in the Meantime, a nonprofit providing free, fresh, healthy, and high-quality food for people in need through pop-up pantries in the Chicagoland south suburbs.

Website: kevinmyates.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kevinmyates

Facebook: facebook.com/kevmyates

It's time to stop doing what you think you "should" or "must." It's time to start doing your marketing, your way!

Kate helps serious entrepreneurs and business leaders cut through the noise to build a powerful content strategy that actually drives growth.

Join her membership, The Confident Content Creators Club, for the structure and clarity you need to Plan with Purpose and Create Content with Confidence.

Ready for an immediate mindset shift?

Grab Kate’s free, four-day Content Confidence Audio Series. It’s designed to instantly help you identify your limiting beliefs and the specific barriers stopping your content creation success.

Sign up today and stop letting self-doubt drive your business marketing: thecontentconsultancy.com/content-confidence-audio

Ballet, modelling and networking! Nov 24, 2025

Show notes

Laetitia is an internationally awarded model, movement artist, and published muse whose work bridges fine art, photography, and dance.

Trained at the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet School and a former performer with Cirque du Soleil, she brings grace, precision, and theatrical depth to every frame. She has travelled to over 87 countries, published five fine art photo books, appeared on the covers of international magazines, and been immortalised in bronze sculptures such as Little Sister by Basil Watson.

With multiple international accolades and a global following of over 100,000, she has built a six-figure creative career rooted in authenticity, independence, and timeless storytelling.

https://laetitiamodel.com/

https://www.instagram.com/laetitia_channel_model/

https://www.patreon.com/laetitiamodel

New Photo book: https://laetitiamodel.com/product/unseen/

Networking starts the conversation - LinkedIn carries it on. Laurie Macpherson Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

Laurie Macpherson is a respected Career and LinkedIn mentor and job search strategist who has been supporting people to find work for the last 10 years. Nowadays, she mainly supports mid/senior women to identify and take the next steps in their career through her knowledge of the job market and practical support around CV's, applications, interviews and LinkedIn. She is a regular contributor to career conversations in the press, and her expertise and no-nonsense manner have allowed her to support hundreds of women to find the role they love at the salary they deserve.

She also supports brilliant business owners who have built their businesses on other platforms to translate that to LinkedIn using her R.E.A.L method. This allows them to use the content they already have to attract a whole new audience, and grow their authority and revenue.

She has always used networking to grow her business and make genuine connections, friendships and referral partners.

You can find her on LinkedIn here www.linkedin.com/in/lauriemac and Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/_laurie_macpherson/

Ditch the scattergun approach! Chris McLoughlin Nov 10, 2025

Show notes

After a successful 10-year career running busy bars and restaurants in London’s West End, Chris McLoughlin discovered a new passion. In 2023, after a lot of changes in his work and personal life, he decided it was time to get serious about organising his own personal finances. The process ignited his interest in financial planning, showing how having clear goals and a strategy to achieve them can provide security and open up future possibilities.

He was inspired to build a career where he could help others achieve that same clarity, and so he pursued his professional qualifications and joined Frontier Wealth, which is part of the St. James’s Place Partnership, in 2024. He now works with clients to build personalised roadmaps that allow them to achieve their life goals, giving them a sense of security and control over their future.

Chris believes that financial literacy is empowering for everyone. This conviction drives him to work with businesses, schools, and community organisations, providing financial wellbeing workshops and support to help people build confidence in managing their money.

chris.mcloughlin@sjpp.co.uk

Making networking cost effective Nov 03, 2025

Show notes

Melissa Grewar, known as The Spiritual Engineer, is an author, intuitive guide, and founder of In Us We Trust CIC: a community supporting people facing hardship to find meaningful answers about their lives through personal acceptance, transformation, and support. Her book In Us We Trust is a practical tool to build self-awareness that empowers people to help themselves through their inner guidance.

Melissa is on a journey to create The Muses, a community theatre space designed to foster connection, support, and growth through creative expression. Drawing from her own experience, she offers clear, grounded guidance without spiritual buzzwords, helping others unlock their potential and move forward with confidence.

Website: www.inuswetrust.co.uk (stacks of free stuff-Reiki meditations, Moonmanifesting etc

Kindle: In Us We Trust out 29th September - 99p https://amzn.eu/d/hqZrMQt

This episode is kindly sponsored by the Empowered Extend Podcast, the podcast where the hosts talk openly about poo, sex, and disability. Yep, the real stuff that too many people shy away from. The team are there to break taboos, spark conversations, and inspire change — together. 💪

Join the team on Empowered Extend to amplify voices, smash stigmas, and create space for every story.

Find Empowered Extend on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or given them a follow on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1272812477330471

The youngest networker in the room! Oct 27, 2025

Show notes

Connor Docherty is an Executive Director of Bell4Business. They provide reliable business support services in East Yorkshire & Lincolnshire. This includes admin, call handling & social media help.

Connor began working at Bell4Business as a 16 year old apprentice and is still often the youngest person in a networking room!

He says it's important not to overlook someone as being a potential decision maker just because they are young...

www.bell4business.co.uk

Join the team on Empowered Extend to amplify voices, smash stigmas, and create space for every story.

Find Empowered Extend on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or given them a follow on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1272812477330471

Building a network with referral partners Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

Michael Walsh is a visionary leader, speaker, and author known for igniting passion in the business owners and senior leaders he works with by helping them to drive their established businesses to growth levels beyond their expectations.

Michael has quietly served the owners and leaders of small to medium sized businesses for 30 years. He has supported hundreds of company owners in their quest for business growth and 3 core freedoms: Freedom in their business, from their business and because of their business.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-walsh/

Website

www.walshbusinessgrowth.com

How wearing funny wigs helps with networking! Oct 13, 2025

Show notes

Brooke Bownes is an accredited trauma coach, therapist & global No.1 bestselling author & speaker. She works with ambitious women who struggle with feeling stuck and have blocks that are holding them back to help them find their power, confidence and release any limiting beliefs.

She is passionate about this as she once felt powerless & was scared to show up in the world as herself. She then started working on her mindset, discovered who she was and loved the feeling of inner contentment & confidence. She went from scared to speaking on stage

Brooke is an introvert who discovered how to rewire her mind, regulate her nervous system, and release her blocks so she could achieve the dreams she wanted to achieve. Now she helps other people do the same.

A bit about Brooke's background: She had an abusive relationship growing up with a narcissistic mother, she then moved on to two abusive relationships, she's been homeless, brought up 4 children single handed, and she has a unique way of understanding people where they are at and helping them to find their power.

Event

FRIDAY 24th OCT 2025

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/powerfully-youtm-tickets-1563409573119

Book

You Can Have It! How to breakthrough the self sabotage cycle (this is the UK link but it is available in most countries from Amazon)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09DX7PB11