with Victoria Usher, Founder of GingerMay

PR is often seen as something you do once you’ve “made it”.

But what if visibility isn’t the reward… what if it’s part of the growth engine itself?

In this episode of Brand Mixology, Claire sits down with Victoria Usher, founder of the multi award-winning PR agency GingerMay, to explore what PR really is today, when it works, when it doesn’t, and how founders can think about visibility in a way that actually supports sustainable growth.

With 16 years of experience building and scaling her own agency, Victoria brings a rare dual perspective. She understands PR not just as a communications discipline, but as a strategic lever that only works when the foundations of a business are right.

This is a grounded, honest conversation about timing, focus, leadership, and why PR can amplify a business, but never fix one.

1. What PR actually is today and how it has evolved beyond press releases
2. Why timing matters more than tactics when it comes to PR
3. The biggest signals that a business is not ready for PR yet
4. How PR should sit within a wider growth strategy, not alongside it
5. When visibility supports sales and when it becomes a distraction
6. How founders can prepare for PR before hiring an agency
7. Whether PR is something you can do yourself in the early stages
8. The growing role of PR in GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) and AI search
9. Why credibility, trust, and quality sources matter more than ever
10. What sustainable growth really looks like after scaling too fast
11. Victoria’s success “ingredient” and what founders should put on ice

PR doesn’t create credibility.

It amplifies it.

When the messaging, audience clarity, product, and sales foundations are in place, PR can accelerate growth dramatically. When they’re not, it simply magnifies the cracks. That’s why saying “not yet” is sometimes the most responsible advice an agency can give.

Find Victoria

Visit teamgingermay.com Connect https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-usher-a3013a9/

Find Claire

Visit www.brandmixology.co Connect https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamclairemarshall/

What Investors Really Look for in Founders (It’s Not the Pitch Deck)

In this episode, Claire sits down with Andy Evans, a multi-exit founder and active investor who has backed more than 20 businesses across media, marketing, tech and beyond.

Andy shares what actually matters when investors decide who to back and why many founders chase investment far too early. Drawing on decades of experience building, selling, advising and investing, this conversation cuts through the myths around funding, AI, personal branding and growth.

If you are building a business and questioning whether investment, visibility or scale is the right next move, this episode will help you think more clearly and act more intentionally.

1. Why most founders do not need investment and when raising money is actually a distraction
2. What investors really look for in founders beyond pitch decks and projections
3. The role of resilience, focus and financial discipline in long-term success
4. How Andy thinks about AI as an assistive tool, not a replacement for human judgement
5. The “Jam Sandwich” model for using AI without losing credibility or trust
6. Why focus beats chasing shiny ideas every time
7. The biggest mistakes founders make after raising money
8. How traction, not ideas, shapes investor confidence
9. Why visibility matters but personal branding often misses the point
10. The overlooked reason female founders may struggle to access investment
11. How communities, networks and relationships quietly shape opportunity

1. Founders considering investment and unsure if it is the right move
2. Business owners feeling stretched, distracted or pulled in too many directions
3. Entrepreneurs navigating AI, visibility and growth without wanting to lose the human edge
4. Anyone building something meaningful and wanting to avoid costly mistakes

Investment does not fix unclear thinking.

AI does not replace human judgement.

And growth rarely comes from doing more, it comes from focusing better.

1. You can connect and find out more about Andy here https://linktr.ee/digitalfounders
2. You find out about Eleven Writing here https://www.elevenwriting.com/
3. Download the investors deck Andy mentions here http://deck.digitalfounders.co.uk/
4. Download the "Jam Sandwich" Thesis here http://deck.thejamsandwich.com/

In this episode, Claire is joined by Nick Lima, founder of Rank Fresh, to unpack what it really takes to be seen in 2026 and beyond. With over 20 years of experience in SEO and digital marketing, Nick shares practical insights into how AI, Google, brand trust and consistency now work together to decide which businesses get surfaced and which get overlooked.

This conversation goes far beyond traditional SEO tactics. It’s about understanding how humans search, how machines interpret authority, and how founders can build long-term visibility without chasing gimmicks or quick wins.

If you’re a founder who wants to future-proof your brand, attract the right audience, and stop feeling invisible online, this episode will give you clarity and direction.

1. Why being “good” is no longer enough to be found online
2. How AI is changing the way search works
3. What still matters with SEO and what no longer does
4. Why brand mentions and trust signals matter more than ever
5. How smaller businesses can compete with bigger brands
6. The importance of consistency over perfection
7. Common SEO mistakes founders keep making
8. What to focus on now to stay visible in 2026 and beyond

Visibility today is not about tricks or volume. It’s about trust, clarity, consistency and being genuinely useful to the people searching for you.

Nick Lima is the founder of Rank Fresh and has been working in SEO and digital marketing for over two decades. He helps businesses get found online by focusing on clarity, trust and long-term strategy rather than short-term tactics.

Website: https://www.rankfresh.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicklima1/

In this powerful conversation, Claire sits down with clinical psychologist Dr MJ (Dr Barbara Morris-Jensen) to explore what it really takes to reconnect with yourself, find meaning and create change that lasts.

Dr MJ shares her extraordinary story of navigating childhood trauma, loss, homelessness and single motherhood, ultimately rebuilding her life through a deep inner reconnection. Her lived experience combines with decades of clinical expertise to offer a rare blend of wisdom, science and intuition.

Claire and Dr MJ dive into:

• Why so many of us lose our connection with meaning

• How trauma, expectations and other people’s opinions pull us away from ourselves

• The role of intuition and the “gentle whisper” we often ignore

• The difference between fear and inner guidance

• Why burnout isn’t only about work

• How to make change feel safe by taking tiny, nervous-system friendly steps

• The wheel of life exercise and the green-yellow-red check-in

• What truly creates fulfilment across a whole life, not just a business

• How to move forward when you feel lost or stuck

• Why meaning, not achievement, is the real foundation of success

Dr MJ also shares the two words she would “add to the mix” and “put on ice”, offering a simple lens for unlocking more authenticity and clarity.

Work with Dr MJ

Website (here you can also join the waitlist for the new program) heydrmj.com

Instagram: @heydrmj

Link to the Wheel of Life Journal

LinkedIn

You Can also listen to Dr MJs full Oxford talk here - watched by over 1 million viewers

How do you build a successful business without losing yourself or the relationships that matter most?

In this episode, I’m joined by relationship coach and therapist Suzanne Davison for an honest and eye-opening conversation about success, self-worth and the psychology behind how we love, work and relate to others.

We explore why so many founders burn out, why achievement often leaves people feeling empty, and how childhood patterns quietly shape the way we run our businesses and show up at home. Suzanne also breaks down her powerful personality profiling system and explains how understanding your shape can transform your communication, your relationships and your wellbeing.

We cover:

• Why high achievers end up overwhelmed or disconnected

• How approval seeking quietly drives burnout

• The four personality shapes and how they influence behaviour

• Why opposites attract then clash

• How to decompress properly so you can be present at home

• What balance really looks like when you run a business

• How to create success without sacrificing yourself or your family

If you’ve ever thought “there must be more than this”, this conversation will hit home.

Take Suzanne’s Personality Quiz

Work with Suzanne

Don’t Build the Cage You’ll End Up Trapped In

Designing a Business That Runs Without You

What happens when the business you built to give you freedom becomes the thing that traps you?

In this Brand Mixology episode, I sit down with award-winning business mentor and four-time Business Mentor of the Year Christine Nicholson for an eye-opening conversation about freedom, fear, and designing a business that doesn’t rely on you to survive.

We dive into:

• The three types of exits every founder faces — and why only one involves selling
• The real-life story of a founder whose sudden death exposed the danger of owner dependency
• How ego, fear, and control quietly sabotage your business growth
• The psychology behind delegation and why systems don’t stifle creativity — they enable it
• Christine’s simple but powerful mantra:Think. Then take action.

It’s a deeply human and practical conversation about creating freedom by design, building true business value, and letting go before it’s too late.

👉 Stay to the end to hear the one thing Christine puts on ice — and the mindset shift every founder needs to make.

More About Christine

You can find out more about Christine on her website https://christinenicholson.co.uk/ and connect with her on LinkedIn.

More About Brand Mixology

You can find out more about how Brand Mixology works on our website www.brandmixology.co and connect with me, Claire, on LinkedIn.

What happens when life throws you off the stage — and you have to find a new one?

In this Brand Mixology episode, I sit down with Elliot Kay — professional speaker, author of six books, founder of Pro Speakers and the Speaker Awards — for an honest and energising conversation about reinvention, resilience, and leading with purpose.

We dive into:

• How a career-ending injury turned Elliot’s life upside down — and led him to coaching and professional speaking
• The story behind his “Watch Me” philosophy and why permission is overrated
• Turning dyslexia and setbacks into drive and creative fire
• The evolution from public speaking to professional speaking — and the truth about getting paid to speak
• Why the best leaders keep it simple and put busyness on ice

It’s a raw, funny and deeply human conversation about rediscovering your purpose, using your voice for good, and leading without waiting for anyone’s approval.

👉 Stay to the end to hear Elliot’s success ingredient — and the one thing he’s happily putting on ice.

More About Elliot

You can find out more about Elliot on his website https://www.elliotkay.com and book a call with him here https://tidycal.com/mnyxkx3/connectioncalltalks

More about Brand Mixology

You can find out more about how Brand Mixology work on our website www.brandmixology.co and connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamclairemarshall/

What happens when the same brain that fuels your creativity also makes you lose four passports in five years?

In this episode of Brand Mixology, I sit down with Daniel Chaput de Saintonge — founder of a thriving content studio and one of the most brilliantly self-aware creatives I know — to explore the messy, funny, and deeply human side of running a business with ADHD.

We talk about:

• The beauty and chaos of a “stop–start” brain in business and creativity
• How ADHD shows up in leadership, procrastination, and people management
• Why passion is the anchor when everything else feels like noise
• The myth of the solo entrepreneur — and the power of building the right team
• How self-awareness (and humour) can turn challenges into superpowers

It’s a candid, entertaining, and surprisingly relatable conversation about self-acceptance, creative energy, and finding the freedom to work with your brain instead of against it.

👉 Stay to the end to hear Daniel’s mixology moment — the ingredient he’s adding to the cocktail of success and the myth he’s putting firmly on ice.

More About Daniel

You can find out more about 'Knock Knock', Daniel's production studio in London, on their website https://knockknockhq.com/

More about Brand Mixology

You can find out more about how Brand Mixology work on our website www.brandmixology.co and connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamclairemarshall/