In this important episode of It’s Your Business, Kath is joined by Karen Livesey, Director and Trainer at No Whispers CIC, an organisation dedicated to educating people about child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation, county lines and safeguarding.

Karen brings more than 30 years of experience working with young people across Lancashire. It was seeing cases where signs of exploitation had been missed that drove her to deepen her knowledge, train with organisations including Barnardo’s and eventually create No Whispers CIC.

Kath and Karen talk about why safeguarding is not something that only concerns schools, social workers or the police. Exploitation can happen to any child, in any family and in any community, which means awareness matters for parents, carers, businesses, community organisations and anyone who comes into contact with young people.

One of Karen’s clearest messages is to notice change. Changes in behaviour, language, friendships, relationships, absence from home or online activity can all be signs that something is happening beneath the surface.

They also discuss the huge role the online world now plays in young people’s lives. Social media and technology can be enormously positive, but they can also provide opportunities for grooming and exploitation. Karen explains why building trusting relationships with children and understanding how perpetrators operate is so important.

The conversation also looks at victim blaming and why young people may be frightened to tell anyone what is happening to them. Fear, threats, manipulation and shame can all prevent disclosure, making the language and response of trusted adults incredibly important.

Karen shares some of the work No Whispers is doing through training, workshops, safeguarding resources, partnerships and community projects, including resources created to help young people access support and real stories from adults who experienced abuse or exploitation as children.

This is a powerful and necessary conversation about awareness, education and why safeguarding really is everybody’s responsibility.

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In this episode of It’s Your Business, Kath is joined by Iwona Ogodazi, CEO of Inner Edge and founder of Moving Forward Against The Odds CIC, for a powerful conversation about ambition, luxury, resilience and rebuilding your life when everything changes.

Iwona grew up in communist Poland and originally came to London for a summer to improve her English. Arriving with just £400 and no intention of staying permanently, she quickly fell in love with the opportunities the city offered and began building a completely new life for herself.

Her career took her into some of the world’s most prestigious luxury brands, including Smythson, Links of London, Tiffany & Co, Aspinal of London and Asprey. Over more than 20 years in luxury retail, Iwona worked with royalty, celebrities and high-profile clients, eventually progressing into senior leadership and retail director roles.

But behind the successful career was a very different personal reality.

Iwona speaks openly about leaving an abusive marriage, becoming homeless and having to rebuild her life from virtually nothing while fighting to create stability for herself and her son. For years, she felt as though she was living two lives, spending her working days surrounded by luxury and privilege before returning home to deal with the realities of social housing and starting again.

That experience now plays an important role in Iwona’s work through Inner Edge, where she supports leaders, CEOs and people in the public eye to close the gap between how successful their lives appear on the outside and how they truly feel on the inside. They explore issues including fear, imposter syndrome, self-worth and the need for external validation.

Iwona has also created Moving Forward Against The Odds CIC, drawing directly on her own experience to support adults who feel stuck following hardship, homelessness, domestic abuse, illness or other life-changing circumstances. Her aim is to help people rebuild confidence, feel safe enough to move forward and begin flourishing again.

This is an inspiring episode about the difference between looking successful and feeling successful, turning adversity into purpose, and proving that where you find yourself today does not have to determine where you go next.

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In this episode of It’s Your Business, Kath is joined by Heather Offord, business growth consultant, author of The Growth Compass, Regional President of the Professional Speakers Association and Director of Clarity Consultants.

Heather shares how The Growth Compass began as an idea to raise her profile, but evolved into something far more valuable: a practical step-by-step guide designed to help business owners understand where they are, where they want to go and what needs to change to get there.

At the heart of Heather’s work is her Growth Roadmap, which looks at far more than sales and marketing. She helps business owners examine everything from finances, systems and strategy to their personal circumstances, strengths, weaknesses and what they actually want their business and life to look like.

Heather also shares her own unconventional business journey. After years in hospitality, sales, marketing and events, severe pneumonia brought on by burnout forced her to reassess the way she was working. She later built an events business, adapted again when lockdown stopped the industry overnight, and ultimately developed the growth consultancy she runs today.

Kath and Heather have an honest conversation about burnout and why it rarely arrives out of nowhere. It is often the result of months or years of doing too much, trying to follow every piece of business advice and believing you have to be everywhere and do everything.

They also discuss why growth should look different for every business owner. You do not necessarily need to be speaking, networking, blogging, running ads and posting constantly. The right strategy is the one that suits you, your strengths, your goals and the life you want to build.

Heather also talks about the power of business communities, particularly her experience with the Glasgow Girls Club, and why relationships, support and trust can be far more powerful than walking into a room simply trying to sell.

This is a refreshing conversation about sustainable business growth, learning from mistakes, avoiding burnout and creating a business that gives you success without taking over your life.

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