S23 Ep11: Conversations of Inspiration: 2025 year in review
As the year takes its final bow, Holly looks back on twelve extraordinary months filled with transformation, creativity and unexpected magic. From filming her very first TV series, Be Your Own Boss, to diving into the fast-evolving role of AI in creative businesses, Holly reflects on the moments that shaped her 2025.
You’ll love this episode as it’s a celebration of connection: the friendships, shared wisdom and honest storytelling that make a founder’s path not only less lonely, but infinitely richer. Holly revisits standout conversations with NailsINC’s Thea Green MBE — who compares founding a business to motherhood; visualisation expert Maya Raichoora — who shares transformative mindset techniques for counteracting negativity; and Katie Piper OBE — who embraces midlife with courage while challenging how women are objectified.
Donna Ashworth, Vivien Wong and Kate Halfpenny also return to help Holly unpack the year’s most meaningful themes — sharing their souls, insights and creative fire, which in turn will ignite something special in listeners too.
Filled with heart, this episode is a reminder that while the founder’s journey is never easy, staying curious, connected and true to yourself remains the ultimate path to success. It’s proof that stories really do have the power to change everything.
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S23 Ep10: 50 years in footwear — Dune’s founder & chairman Daniel Rubin shares his steps to success
In this episode, Dune Group’s founder and chairman, Daniel Rubin, joins Holly to explore a remarkable career spanning five decades. From his family’s shoemaking roots, to building one of Britain’s most recognisable footwear brands, Daniel reflects on what it truly takes to survive and thrive in an industry that never stops changing.
With his new memoir, Sole Survivor, Daniel shares the real lessons behind the highs, the crises and the inevitable mistakes that shaped him. He talks about sensing when to pivot, the art of holding your nerve in unpredictable markets and learning quickly when things go wrong — all while keeping a clear vision at the heart of the brand.
Wise, candid and full of hard-earned insight from a fifty year career, this episode is a masterclass in resilience, reinvention and the power of learning from every step along the way.
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S23 Ep9: Katie Piper OBE — Broadcaster, Author & Charity Campaigner: On beauty, bravery and unbreakable spirit
In this inspiring episode, Holly is joined by Katie Piper OBE — author, TV presenter, charity campaigner and a shining example of resilience and hope. From a happy childhood in Hampshire, to surviving a devastating acid attack in her twenties, Katie shares how she refused to let trauma define her, choosing instead to rebuild her life with courage, compassion and self-acceptance.
With warmth and honesty, Katie reflects on motherhood, ageing and redefining beauty and identity — particularly in the way women grow older. Her latest book, Still Beautiful: On Age, Beauty and Owning Your Space, shares the secrets of recognising your worth, cultivating lasting confidence and discovering the true beauty of ageing. She explores what it truly means to live authentically and to celebrate individuality.
This conversation is a heartfelt celebration of resilience. It touches on the beauty of living life on your own terms — a reminder that even after unimaginable hardship, we all have the power to rebuild, redefine and shine from within.
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S23 Ep8: Master your mind — the power of visualisation with Maya Raichoora, Mental Fitness & Visualisation Expert
In this inspiring episode, Holly Tucker chats with Maya Raichoora — international speaker, author of Visualise and Nike’s first-ever mental fitness trainer — about unlocking the power of training our minds like our bodies.
Maya shares how mental fitness and visualisation, a technique once reserved for the top 1% of elite athletes like Ronaldo, Serena Williams, Muhammad Ali and Tiger Woods, helped her overcome ulcerative colitis and thrive. She reveals daily practices that helped rewire her brain, like starting the day with the phrase “Show me how good it gets” and shares the secret to how that helps. She also explores how neuroscience can be the key to building resilience and shaping your mindset for a positive outcome.
They discuss reframing happiness as a journey, embracing all experiences and calming imposter syndrome, while sharing Maya’s bold pursuit of her dreams, including becoming Nike’s first mental fitness trainer. Maya encourages us to “live like a predator, not prey” pursuing our goals with courage, focus and determination.
This episode shows that our minds aren’t just something we have to accept — they’re something we can nurture, train and get curious about. With compassion, consistency and courage, we can all unlock our limitless potential — just like the top 1%. Want to know how? Listen now.
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S23 Ep7: Thea Green MBE — Nails.INC founder & chairwoman: Nailing success — building a British beauty brand from scratch
What does it take to turn a simple idea into a British beauty institution — at just 23 years old? In this episode, Holly is joined by Thea Green MBE, founder and chairwoman of Nails.INC, for an honest, enlightening and uplifting conversation about her 26-year journey building an iconic brand.
From her early days as a Tatler fashion editor, to launching the UK’s first nail bars inspired by American salons, Thea shares how courage, creativity and a touch of rebellion helped her redefine an industry. She opens up about growth, setbacks and the balance between grit and self-compassion. Plus we hear how she learned to accept imperfection, forgive herself, and juggle more than she ever thought possible, from baby bottles and business plans, to bedtime stories and investor meetings.
Thea’s moving letter to her younger self is a love note to the girl who dreamed big, made mistakes and never stopped believing in the power of creativity and connection.
An inspiring listen for anyone chasing a dream, feeling mum guilt or navigating the beautiful chaos of building something meaningful.
Conversations of Inspiration brings you life changing wisdom along with heartbreaking stories of resilience, tenacity and triumph. Since launching two small business marketplaces (Holly & Co and notonthehighstreet), Holly Tucker MBE has spoken with more than 200 founders, creatives and entrepreneurs on this podcast who have been vulnerable enough to share what it really took to get them where they are today, with warmth and wisdom. Prepare to be inspired.
New Zealand