5 Businesses Who've Really Helped Me in 2022
In the betwixtmas last year, I wrote a blog post shouting out 9 businesses who’d really helped me in 2021, and this year I wanted to do it again; so here we! Here we! Here we flippin’ go!
As someone so wisely said last year (ok fine, it was me), the reason I share this is threefold:
1. to let them know how grateful I am for their help and work
2. to let you know how brilliant they are, and put them on your radar in case you’re on the hunt for their expertise
3. to dispel the myth that (small) business owners have to do everything on their own. I hear this narrative so often — especially on the podcast: that to count as ‘proper’ business owners we have to be experts in everything. I call BS on this! Whether you decide to outsource fully, work 1:1 with someone, join a group programme or ask an expert for some valued judgement on a particular issue, asking for help isn’t a weakness. Many hands make light work…
…and so here are the 5 businesses who’ve made my work lighter* this year:
Studio Cotton
A couple of weeks ago, in between heavy snowfall and even heavier-hearted train strikes, I trundled to Studio Cotton HQ in Bristol to chew the business cud with founder Aime. Studio Cotton are primarily a website design studio, but I asked Aime about life, the universe and everything (by which I, of course, mean I asked about a number of small business things, industry things, and we took a 4 minute break to watch the SNL ‘Joan’ skit featuring Harry Styles). Not only did I come away with an exceptional pink parrot vase thanks to their impending studio move, but I also came away with a renewed vigour and inspiration.
studiocotton.co.uk / @studio.cotton
Vix Meldrew
I’ve done a couple of Vix’s sprint courses this year and they’ve been brilliant. Vix has a background in teaching and always shows up with authenticity and integrity, so when I saw her Recurring Revenue Revolution offering, my interest was piqued. As I’m not a coach or a course creator, I did it through the lens of being a service provider, and found it really useful as a way of assessing my current offers and seeing how else I could serve the people I want to help.
Nova Reid
This year I’ve also put my money where my mouth is and enrolled in Nova’s Becoming Anti-Racist course. I have learnt so much from Nova over the years — from her time as founder of Nu Bride to now, as a producer, speaker, and author of The Good Ally. It was through her work that I discovered the difference — and the crucial importance of the difference — between being non-racist and being anti-racist, and this course is a perfect way to deepen my understanding. You get access to the modules for a year. For full transparency, I haven’t finished the course yet, but the modules I have done so far have been fundamental and life-changing.
Melody Joy
I’ve admired Melody Joy’s work for a long time, and had the pleasure of finally meeting her this summer. We strolled around Southwark taking some headshots, like the finery you can see here, as well as some fun gif-y bits too. If you’re looking for some relaxed, editorial style photography, then Melody is your gal.
The Marcon Court Project
When investigating how to make a spliced half-and-half sweatshirt over at The Enthusiast & Co (thanks to a product shot by Capture This and That, who I mentioned in last year’s blog post), I remembered Laura’s incredible designs at The Marcon Court Project; and in particular, the half-and-half blazers she creates. I messaged Laura asking her if she was also available to work freelance for other brands, and loved her response: she replied saying yes, she was, but if I’d be up for it she’d love to teach me how to do it myself, because she thought that would be even more beneficial! I loved how her actions so closely aligned with her values of sustainability, and learned so much from my session with her (plus, of course, the sweatshirts turned out brilliantly).
So there you have it! 5 more businesses to add to your list of long-time legends. If you don’t need their services right now, I recommend creating a folder on your phone, in your photos or on instagram, of people you’d like to work with in the future. If you’re not a visual person, you could write a list in your notes or your notebook. This way, you won’t feel the pressure of having to work with this person right now if it’s going to bankrupt you and can wait for a time when you’ve got more financial flexibility; you’ll also have a roster of recommendations if you ever run into an unexpected problem or opportunity later down the line that you’d like an expert to help with.
Also, as per last year: this is not an exhaustive list! There are so many brilliant people and businesses in the community who help me everyday, in addition to these above and those I listed last year too. However, it would take me weeks if not months to list them all…and I’m not sure about you, but I’m planning to enter the new year on a dancefloor, which would be quite a hard environment to hear or read a list in.
Who would be on your list this year? I’d love to know!
*also, up until this day in the year of our lord 2022, I thought this saying meant actual light, like a lightbulb (as in the joke, how many businesses does it take to change a light?) Who knew! Not me!
