Stop Playing Small

Michelle Wright & Nicola Auckland share how their podcast is helping women step forward with confidence...

Although very different people, Nicola and Michelle have one very important thing in common... Nicola is known for proclaiming that she will “die on the hill” of making women visible in their business, and Michelle has a passion for helping women to feel confident in what they’re wearing. They just want women to stop playing small, to step out of the shadows and own the space that they have worked so hard for. And it’s for these reasons that they decided to host a podcast. Nicola and Michelle met when their kids were at primary school together, however neither can remember the other from the school gates! So, their first ‘real’ meeting was through networking, something they are both big advocates of. Nicola recognised a gap when her clients often asked her what to wear to a shoot. As she was clueless, not her zone of genius, she pointed them in Michelles direction for a pre-shoot styling session, and then Michelle was also on hand during the shoot as well for styling touch ups.

Then followed a chance conversation where they both confessed to wanting to do a podcast. The chat quickly turned to throwing round some ideas, to excitement and Michelle, as a Pantser (IYKYK) wanted to just launch it there and then. However, Nicola being the voice of reason and a Planner (again IYKYK), reigned Michelle in by insisting on putting some plans in place before the eventual launch in April 2025. They couldn’t be happier with the response, now on season 2, with regular listeners and downloads, they are going from strength to strength.

The Reinvention Diaries is aptly named as it is based on their own experiences of reinventing themselves. They were both in their 40’s when they started their own businesses, which truly felt like their calling. Nicola knew the corporate world wasn’t for her anymore when she was made redundant, so she took the opportunity to turn her side hustle dream into a reality and is now the owner of Nicola Auckland Photography, a brand photographer specialising in working with female business owners.

Michelle had been a stay-at-home mum for fifteen years, however, she realised during lockdown that she wanted more than being an unpaid taxi-driver and packer of lunches, so returned to her fashion roots and launched a styling business to help women feel good about themselves. She is now known as Mrs Stylewright - a Style Coach & Colour Analyst. Whilst setting up their businesses they went through the sometimes difficult, sometimes liberating, transition of reinvention, rediscovering themselves and regaining lost confidence.

Although they don’t claim to be business experts, they are experts in their respective fields and have real life experience of running a small business, so they are more than qualified to speak about the upsides and the pitfalls of working for yourself. They also regularly invite expert guests on the podcast to chat and impart their valuable knowledge, many with incredible stories! The Reinvention Diaries doesn’t always focus on work and business, Michelle and Nicola often delve into home life, so listeners also get a bit of a peep into their, very different, family lives often much to the dismay of their husbands, and luckily their children don’t listen! Each week brings something different, everything from valuable and insightful business advice to uncontrollable laughter and even tears on more than one occasion!

You can listen to The Reinvention Diaries on all the usual podcast platforms, with a new episode every Wednesday. Nicola and Michelle invite listeners to email them at the studio on studio@thereinventiondiaries.co.uk or through their Instagram page @thereinventiondiariespodcast.

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Author: Michelle Wright | Style Coach & Colour Analyst Nicola Auckland | Brand Photographer

Podcast: The Reinvention Diaries

Podcast Email: studio@thereinventiondiaries.co.uk

Photogrpahy: Headshot Toby