Digital (Gold) Dust

Sammy Phillips and Lea Tierney

Hello and welcome to the Digital (Gold) Dust podcast, by Brand and Web Designer Sammy Phillips and Creative Copywriter Lea Tierney. We’re here to share stories of life as a conscious creative, what it means to tell your story online as a soulful business owner, what makes great copy and design and all manner of shimmering stuff in between. We were united by our mutual love of people with big missions making waves in the world and our frustration at the digital dust we were seeing clients gathering.

  1. How to be genuinely productive as a business owner, with Louise Miller

    25/08/2025

    How to be genuinely productive as a business owner, with Louise Miller

    It’s productivity Jim, but not as we know it. Now jokes aside, this may be one of the most important conversations we’ve had on the podcast to date. The word productivity or being ‘productive’ has some pretty negative connotations attached to it, but we’re shedding a new light on it, and for good reason. In this episode, we’re joined by productivity expert and the genie for your genius, Louise Miller - where we discuss what productivity really is and debunk a few myths along the way. If you’ve ever felt frazzled by your to-do list, and overwhelmed by the tasks left undone this episode is for you. Here’s a taster of the gold dust we uncover: Louise shares her journey from a burned out 9-5 employee to helping coaches, consultants, and community-builders make a bigger impact in the world, in a gentler way Learn about Louise’s radical slower, kinder approach to productivity and how she helps her clients get done what actually matters without feeling exhausted Why everything starts with a pause We discuss Gretchen Rubin’s ‘The Four Tendencies’ and how understanding this can help you to identify what support you need How burn out doesn’t always come from just doing too much, and how our productivity shouldn’t be tied to our value The one thing Louise wants you to know as a soulful business owner Here are some links to the goodies we discussed in the episode: Gretchen Rubin ‘The Four Tendencies Quiz’: https://gretchenrubin.com/four-tendencies/  Get Louise's 10 powerful pauses: https://www.louisemiller.uk/ten-powerful-pauses-for-productivity-and-progress Get unfrazzle-d by listening to Louise’s bite-sized podcast episodes: https://www.louisemiller.uk/podcast _______ More about Louise: Louise is on a mission to change the world by helping her clients change the world. She partners with coaches, consultants, and community-builders with big visions, helping them turn ideas into reality, reach more people, and make a bigger impact—all while managing the day-to-day juggle, and being kind to themselves along the way. Described by clients as a "soothing balm" and "magician," Louise's own experience with work-related stress and anxiety inspired her to create a mindful, slower approach to productivity, helping clients focus on what truly matters and get the important things done. You can connect with Louise: Website: louisemiller.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisemiller-bettylou/  _______ Are you a business owner on a mission who needs help with building those solid foundations? Then it might be time to give your business the ‘Limelight’ treatment. Find out more: https://www.leatierney.com/limelight  Thanks for listening in and we hope you’ll get involved in the chats this season. Join our LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-gold-dust-podcast/ You can also watch the episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@digitalgolddust_podcast/ Why not hit the subscribe button so that you hear first when new episodes are released, and we’d love it if you could leave a review so we can reach even more soulful business owners like you. In the meantime, if you’d like to connect with either of us, pick our creative brains or discuss the podcast we can be reached in the following places: Lea - https://www.leatierney.com/ Sammy - https://kohlabcreative.com/

    57 min
  2. Legally protecting your business, with Lucy Legal

    11/08/2025

    Legally protecting your business, with Lucy Legal

    What do growing vegetables have in common with legally protecting your business? Well you’ll have to listen to the end of the episode to find out. Today we’re going to be talking about something that gives most business owners the heebiejeebies. Small print, big impact: this is how to use the legal stuff as a foundation. This is not an afterthought, although this area of business is often treated that way. In this episode, we’re joined by UK based solicitor Lucy Wheeler and founder of the Lucy Legal template shop, empowering small businesses to build a business (and life) on their own terms through making the ‘legal stuff’ less daunting and, dare we say it, even a little bit fun.  Here’s a lowdown of the key discussion points: We dive straight in with unearthing some legal horror stories, and why legal foundations aren’t just for ‘big’ businesses We cover what legal foundations you actually need as a small business owner, and how having clear legal boundaries in your business actually builds trust with your clients How Lucy turned her ultimate dream into reality - and why she’s so passionate about helping other business owners to live their dream lives The one thing Lucy wants you to know as a soulful business owner _______ More about Lucy: The legal side of running a business can sometimes feel a little overwhelming, boring and expensive!! It can be difficult to know where to start, but it doesn't have to be. UK based solicitor, Lucy Wheeler, founder of the fastest growing legal templates company in the UK, Lucy Legal, has made inaccessible legal jargon easy to understand and complicated legal concepts straightforward, and sometimes even fun! Via the only legal website you'll find which is branded pink, Lucy Legal provides template legal contracts and policies to entrepreneurs and small business owners. Lucy has experience working with businesses from start-ups to those with 7 figure turnover and regularly supports entrepreneurs to get the contractual documents and brand protection they need to get paid, avoid getting sued and grow and scale successfully. You can connect with Lucy: Get Lucy’s Legal Checklist: https://www.lucylegal.co.uk/start-here Visit Lucy’s Template Shop: https://www.lucylegal.co.uk/templates  Get 10% off using code: sammyphillips10 (Sammy is a proud affiliate of Lucy’s templates as she uses them herself and recommends them to her clients, so while she gets a small commission if you purchase using her link or discount code, it also enables her to pass the discount on to you) And keep up to date with small business legal insights by following Lucy on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucy_legal/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-wheeler-lawyer/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lucylegaluk  _______ Are you a business owner on a mission who needs help with building those solid foundations? Then it might be time to give your business the ‘Limelight’ treatment. Find out more: https://www.leatierney.com/limelight  Thanks for listening in and we hope you’ll get involved in the chats this season. Join our LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-gold-dust-podcast/ You can also watch the episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@digitalgolddust_podcast/ Why not hit the subscribe button so that you hear first when new episodes are released, and we’d love it if you could leave a review so we can reach even more soulful business owners like you. In the meantime, if you’d like to connect with either of us, pick our creative brains or discuss the podcast we can be reached in the following places:Lea - https://www.leatierney.com/ Sammy - https://kohlabcreative.com/

    52 min
  3. Finances as a foundation - making this simple, with Elizabeta Ivonciene

    28/07/2025

    Finances as a foundation - making this simple, with Elizabeta Ivonciene

    In this episode, we’re joined by Elizabeta, founder of Piece of Cake Accounting and a passionate Profit First certified strategist. We delve into the association of money and shame, and dive into why being profitable isn’t just okay, it’s absolutely essential - even if you are just starting out. We break down the financial foundations every soulful business owner needs to build a sustainable business that lasts. We love a fired up conversation, and this one didn’t disappoint. We break down the financial foundations every soulful business owner needs to build a sustainable business that lasts. We love a fired up conversation, and this one more than delivered. Here’s a lowdown of what we covered: Why ‘profit’ isn’t a dirty word and how it can be baked into those early foundations Elizabeta calls for business owners to get honest about their financial goals, and calls for us all to let go of the guilt around earning a living Why undercharging doesn’t help anyone, least of all your clients, and how you can feel more empowered and joyful about your finances with the Profit First method How to avoid the January tax return panic The one thing Elizabeta wants you to know as a soulful business owner _______ More about Elizabeta: Elizabeta believes, “Making money is part of creating a sustainable business!”. Her work is all about showing you that, yes, you can have it all – money, freedom and the café you love. She’s keeping your favourite cafes and coffee shops open, by sharing her love of numbers and profit with overwhelmed and money-worried business owners, reminding them that overnight success is a myth. And that any business will make money with small changes and sustainable habits. Her philosophy is simple: there's enough success to go around. The industry thrives on community, not competition. Together we can create a space where everyone belongs - customers, business owners, staff and suppliers. In a culture where being busy is mistakenly worn as a badge of honour – Elizabeta is proud to champion a slower pace and freedom, both in your business and personal life. It’s not unusual for her clients to free up a whole day every single week, or go on a 2-week holiday - without stressing about the shop - after a short time of working together. So, if you’re dreaming about a slower life, having a bigger impact on your community, and more family time – Elizabeta can help you to have your cake and eat it. Follow Elizabeta: Website: https://pieceofcakeaccounting.co.uk/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pieceofcakeaccounting/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeta-ivonciene-pieceofcakeaccounting _______ Are you a business owner on a mission who needs help with building those solid foundations? Then it might be time to give your business the ‘Limelight’ treatment. Find out more: https://www.leatierney.com/limelight  Thanks for listening in and we hope you’ll get involved in the chats this season. Join our LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-gold-dust-podcast/ You can also watch the episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@digitalgolddust_podcast/ Why not hit the subscribe button so that you hear first when new episodes are released, and we’d love it if you could leave a review so we can reach even more soulful business owners like you. In the meantime, if you’d like to connect with either of us, pick our creative brains or discuss the podcast we can be reached in the following places:Lea - https://www.leatierney.com/ Sammy - https://kohlabcreative.com/

    59 min
  4. If a picture is worth a thousand words, that’s a solid foundation! With Samantha Couzens

    14/07/2025

    If a picture is worth a thousand words, that’s a solid foundation! With Samantha Couzens

    "Focus on how you want people to feel first, then use that feeling to guide every creative decision you make." In this episode, we’re joined by food photographer (and newly appointed dog mumma) Samantha Couzens, who has helped her clients to launch apps, land cookbook deals, and get stocked on supermarket shelves. Who better to discuss the value of brand imagery than Samantha? We knew she’d have a ton of gold dust to bring to this conversation so we invited her to join us. Dive into the episode to find out: Samantha’s journey from starting a food blog to creating feast-for-the-eyes imagery for foodie start ups and household brand names Why real food matters, and why is so much more than just food The subliminal power of brand visuals, and the role they play in your business story How your imagery can impact building trust, loyalty, and connection with customers Yes, we do touch on the use of AI in the photography industry The importance of staying true to your values, and not following the trends Practical tips on how to prepare for a shoot Lastly the one thing Samantha wants you, dear soulful business owner, to take away from this episode And if you fancy listening to more photography gold dust, check out our earlier episode with brand photographer, Emily Brown: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0nv4nMDc5e4rNZiMkVLAan?si=6cfcb13ff76e43d2  _______ More about Samantha: Samantha Couzens is a food photographer for the founders that are doing things differently. She’s helped clients launch apps, land cookbook deals and get their products onto supermarket shelves. From foodie start ups to household brand names, Samantha has helped them show up confidently with imagery they love and that builds trust, loyalty and CONNECTION with their customers. Samantha doesn’t produce imagery for images sake, she loves to explore what food really is - love, community, health, happiness, identity, joy, freedom. You can connect with Samantha: Website: https://samanthacouzens.co.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-couzens-767949ba/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthacouzens_  _______ Are you a business owner on a mission who needs help with building those solid foundations? Then it might be time to give your business the ‘Limelight’ treatment. Find out more: https://www.leatierney.com/limelight  Thanks for listening in and we hope you’ll get involved in the chats this season. Join our LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-gold-dust-podcast/ You can also watch the episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@digitalgolddust_podcast/ Why not hit the subscribe button so that you hear first when new episodes are released, and we’d love it if you could leave a review so we can reach even more soulful business owners like you. In the meantime, if you’d like to connect with either of us, pick our creative brains or discuss the podcast we can be reached in the following places: Lea - https://www.leatierney.com/ Sammy - https://kohlabcreative.com/

    49 min
  5. Life in the Limelight - with Anne Jackson

    30/06/2025

    Life in the Limelight - with Anne Jackson

    As we continue the theme of building solid business foundations, you’d probably like to see how that comes to life. That’s why this is a practical and soulful chat around what that actually looks like, the process around it, and what it can mean for your business.  For this heart-warming kindred conversation, we are joined by the very lovely Anne Jackson, an anxiety therapist who also happens to be a ‘Limelight’ client. Anne shares the story of her journey from a psychotherapy student to a qualified therapist launching her own private practice. Whether you’re in those early stages of launching or are coming back to those all important foundations, this episode will give you practical insights and some gentle encouragement on how to create your own digital sanctuary. Dive into the episode to find out: How Anne’s ideas went from feeling like a “knotted ball of wool” to feeling excited about her business, and what was a real game-changer for her The joy (not stress) of finding your brand voice with the right support We get down to some real talk about niching, messaging, and how the right brand acts as a client filter How ‘The Human Shell Cracker’ came to be and the creative magic that followed Where Anne is now in her private practice and how getting the right support helped her to launch with confidence and conviction Lastly, Anne shares some helpful tips on how to soothe anxiety and your nervous system as a soulful business owner (let’s face it, we probably all need a bit of that from time to time!) You can connect with Anne: Visit Anne’s digital sanctuary: https://annejacksontherapy.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annejacksontherapy290/  ______ Are you a business owner on a mission who needs help with building those solid foundations? Then it might be time to give your business the ‘Limelight’ treatment. Find out more: https://www.leatierney.com/limelight  Thanks for listening in and we hope you’ll get involved in the chats this season. Join our LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-gold-dust-podcast/ You can also watch the episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@digitalgolddust_podcast/ Why not hit the subscribe button so that you hear first when new episodes are released, and we’d love it if you could leave a review so we can reach even more soulful business owners like you. In the meantime, if you’d like to connect with either of us, pick our creative brains or discuss the podcast we can be reached in the following places:Lea - https://www.leatierney.com/ Sammy - https://kohlabcreative.com/

    1hr 1min
  6. Building your life and business together as a foundation

    16/06/2025

    Building your life and business together as a foundation

    We’re coming back from an unintentionally long mid-season break, but just in time for us to join you on slow summery walks, garden pottering or [insert fave pastime whilst listening to our podcast here]. Join us for this come-back episode where we’re catching up on what we’ve both been creating, discussing what has been keeping us from our usual podcast schedule (spoiler alert it involves one house move and two surgeries), and how all this relates to building solid foundations. Whilst Lea has firmly settled into forest life over the last 3 years, Sammy is just starting to explore her new seaside home (now the boxes are unpacked), and we both talk about what it means to live in alignment with our values, be part of a more artisan community and how that impacts our lives and businesses. Listen or watch until the end to get a taste for all the fabulous topics and guests we’ve got coming your way over the coming weeks and months - you won’t want to miss them! ______ Are you a business owner on a mission who needs help with building those solid foundations? Then it might be time to give your business the ‘Limelight’ treatment. Find out more: https://www.leatierney.com/limelight  Thanks for listening in and we hope you’ll get involved in the chats this season. Join our LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-gold-dust-podcast/ You can also watch the episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@digitalgolddust_podcast/ Why not hit the subscribe button so that you hear first when new episodes are released, and we’d love it if you could leave a review so we can reach even more soulful business owners like you. In the meantime, if you’d like to connect with either of us, pick our creative brains or discuss the podcast we can be reached in the following places: Lea - https://www.leatierney.com/ Sammy - https://kohlabcreative.com/

    41 min
  7. Sustainability with ease and unearthing your values - with Ciaran Armstrong

    11/11/2024

    Sustainability with ease and unearthing your values - with Ciaran Armstrong

    There’s no beer on a dead planet. This was the slogan that our podcast guest, Ciaran Armstrong - the co-founder of Sustainable Pathways, had printed on his t-shirt when he ran the Edinburgh marathon. Ciaran’s superpower is getting people engaged about climate change and making it fun. In this episode we discuss the importance of taking small steps towards sustainability, accepting the imperfections of that journey, while aligning our actions with our mission and values. Here’s a lowdown of the key discussion points: Ciaran talks about his parents’ charity work and how that shaped his path and key drivers in life How to build in sustainability as a key business foundation What we actually mean when we talk about ‘sustainability’ Aligning personal and business values with profit for a truly sustainable impact How to overcome feelings of overwhelm when focusing on sustainability What action could you take by next Friday? Ciaran shares a few ways you can get started on your sustainability journey with one small action _______ At the time of publishing this episode Ciaran is in Valencia. He was there when the storms hit and is now on the ground helping with the cleanup operation, along with a large community of volunteers in the aftermath of the floods. Ciaran and his rugby team have set up a campaign to raise money to help those directly affected by the floods. Donate if you can, he only asks for 5 Euros to those who can afford it, and if not you can help by sharing the link: https://gofund.me/bee0c67a Thank you. More about Ciaran: Ciaran is the Co-founder of Sustainable Pathways; making sustainability simple to understand and actionable. Sustainable Pathways provides engaging training, interactive workshops, a support community, and actionable resources to drive lasting change. Or, as it says on their website: “Moving people to think, live and work sustainably with ease.” As a former Sustainability Consultant, Ciaran knows a thing or two about real-world sustainability. And, over the past 4 years he has collaborated with companies including Small Business Britain, BT Business, South Lanarkshire Council, The Glasgow Academy and Social Enterprise Scotland on projects to bring sustainability and leadership education to 1000s of SMEs, employees and young people across the UK. You can connect with Ciaran: Website: https://www.sustainable-pathways.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ciaran.armstrong_/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciaran-armstrong/  Discover your impact, take the free Sustainable Business Benchmark assessment here: https://susnav.sustainable-pathways.com/?q=benchmark  Some other resources you might find helpful: Ciarans’ podcast episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Js1yWGGZ39nJgnjNykbn1?si=fab7ccb524fa4271  https://www.effectivealtruism.org/  Impact by Sir Ronald Cohen: https://sirronaldcohen.org/books  Green Skills for Small Business course: https://smallbusinessbritain.uk/green-skills-for-small-business  The Wholegrain guide to ethical use of AI:  https://www.wholegraindigital.com/blog/ethical-ai-guidelines/  _______ Are you a business owner on a mission who needs help with building those solid foundations? Then it might be time to give your business the ‘Limelight’ treatment. Find out more: https://www.leatierney.com/limelight  Thanks for listening in and we hope you’ll get involved in the chats this season. Join our LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-gold-dust-podcast/ You can also watch the episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@digitalgolddust_podcast/ If you’d like to connect with either of us, pick our creative brains or discuss the podcast we can be reached in the following places: Lea - https://www.leatierney.com/ Sammy - https://kohlabcreative.com/

    1hr 5min
  8. Why it’s good to focus on money in your business with Nicole Louise Winer

    28/10/2024

    Why it’s good to focus on money in your business with Nicole Louise Winer

    How could we have a season focusing on building strong business foundations without talking about money? Putting a value on your work and actually charging money is a common hurdle we see, especially amongst sensitive business owners who love being of service to others. Joining us for our discussion on money mindset, marrying ethics with abundance, and how to scale with true balance is business growth expert, Nicole Louise Winer.  Here are some of the main topics covered in this episode: The typical mindset blocks that come up for heart-led business owners around money and charging for their services How to reverse engineer your income - the difference between what you’re charging and what you’re actually taking home in earnings Why it’s important to embrace an experimental mindset, especially in the early days of growing a business Sammy’s take-aways from reading Profit First, including feeling more in control of your finances and how to create a profitable business from the start Building a sustainable business without burning out or selling out Lastly Nicole shares a few practical tips on how to start shifting to a more profitable strategy in your business _______ More about Nicole Louise Winer: Nicole Louise Winer (Nicole Louise Online), is a Business Strategist, Mentor and Coach. Her mission is to support business owners to grow and scale their business on their terms, with true balance. She provides mentorship, coaching, business advice and support that kicks ass with kindness to brilliant business owners who’ve lost the spark in their businesses. And with her kicking ass with kindness approach, she’s helped hundreds of business owners to create profitable online businesses that they love. You can connect with Nicole:Website: https://nicolelouiseonline.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolelouiseonline LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-winer/  Take Nicole’s ‘Is your business ready to scale?’ quiz here: https://nicolelouiseonline.com/free-resources/  _______ Are you a business owner on a mission who needs help with building those solid foundations? Then it might be time to give your business the ‘Limelight’ treatment. Find out more: https://www.leatierney.com/limelight  Thanks for listening in and we hope you’ll get involved in the chats this season. Join our LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-gold-dust-podcast/ You can also watch the episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@digitalgolddust_podcast/ Why not hit the subscribe button so that you hear first when new episodes are released, and we’d love it if you could leave a review so we can reach even more soulful business owners like you. In the meantime, if you’d like to connect with either of us, pick our creative brains or discuss the podcast we can be reached in the following places: Lea - https://www.leatierney.com/Sammy - https://kohlabcreative.com/

    59 min
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About

Hello and welcome to the Digital (Gold) Dust podcast, by Brand and Web Designer Sammy Phillips and Creative Copywriter Lea Tierney. We’re here to share stories of life as a conscious creative, what it means to tell your story online as a soulful business owner, what makes great copy and design and all manner of shimmering stuff in between. We were united by our mutual love of people with big missions making waves in the world and our frustration at the digital dust we were seeing clients gathering.

Information

  • Creator
    Sammy Phillips and Lea Tierney
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Sammy Phillips and Lea Tierney
  • Show Website
    Digital (Gold) Dust