Friends with Business Benefits

Charlie Swift
  • 5.0 (32)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED FORTNIGHTLY
Friends with Business Benefits

Friends with Business Benefits hosted by Charlie Swift and Franky Shanahan is a podcast for creatives who crave connection, understanding and support. Hello, we are Charlie and Franky, two self-employed business owners living in Bristol in the southwest of England. Franky runs a copywriting business called Love Audrey, helping brands and creative businesses find their voice and tell their story online. As a business mentor to creative mamas, Charlie supports women to build their businesses alongside raising a family. For the last 5 years, we’ve been meeting for regular co-mentoring sessions. Working for yourself can be lonely at times, but through our monthly meet-ups, we’ve found the support and accountability we were craving in our working lives. Through our podcast, we hope to continue these conversations, share what we’re learning and also learn from you, our listeners. Business Mentoring for Creative Mamas: https://charlieswift.com Copywriting for Creatives: https://www.love-audrey.com friendswithbusinessbenefits.substack.com

  1. 12 DEC

    122. The Power of Play

    This week, we’re chatting about the power of play and what happens when you choose to prioritise and embrace it. Franky describes the transformative journey she’s been on this year after choosing ‘play’ as her guiding word. We discuss the impact it’s had on her mindset, her business and her life outside work. Charlie also shares what play has looked like for her over the last 12 months, and we both share tips to help you embrace all things playful in 2025. Links and Further Reading @artgurl on Instagram making “bad art” Junk Journal January Get Messy Larking About Join the conversation on Substack to tell us how you feel about play and doing things ‘just for fun’ alongside running a creative business. We’d love to hear your thoughts! Connect With Us Friends With Business Benefits on Substack charlieswift.com love-audrey.com Find Us On Instagram @loveaudrey83 @_charlieswift Subscribe to Our Mailing Lists Franky’s Mailing List Charlie’s Mailing List Get full access to Friends with Business Benefits at friendswithbusinessbenefits.substack.com/subscribe

    35 min

  2. 28 NOV

    120. Is AI Coming For Our Jobs?

    This week we’re tackling a huge topic - the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the small business world as a whole and on us as individuals.  Charlie talks about using AI as a collaborative tool, highlighting some of the benefits, while Franky is very honest about how she thinks ChatGPT is already affecting her bottom line. We dive into some of the ethical issues surrounding AI and contemplate a future where more and more of the content we consume is created by robots. Links and Further Reading Yuval Noah Harari on How to Fail with Elizabeth Day Join the conversation on Substack where you can share your thoughts on AI and tell us about your own experiences using (or avoiding) ChatGPT. We’d love to hear from you! Connect With Us  Friends With Business Benefits on Substack charlieswift.com love-audrey.com Find Us On Instagram @loveaudrey83 @_charlieswift  Subscribe to Our Mailing Lists Franky’s Mailing List Charlie’s Mailing List Get full access to Friends with Business Benefits at friendswithbusinessbenefits.substack.com/subscribe

    48 min

  3. 8 NOV

    119. Email Marketing Deep Dive

    This week, we’re chatting all things email marketing. To kick things off, Franky shares a personal dilemma about whether or not she should move her mailing list away from Mailchimp and/or start a Substack. As well as covering the pros and cons of various email marketing platforms, we also discuss strategy, consistency, outsourcing and AI, what we write about and how we come up with ideas.   Links and Further Reading: What Makes a Good Email Lead Magnet? Are You Going to Start a Substack? How Are We Showing Up On Substack This Year  Flodesk (affiliate link) Boatman Admin Services Plotting by Katie Sadler Liz Mosley Hi Communications Join the conversation on Substack where you can share your thoughts on this episode and tell us about your own email marketing in the comments. We’d love to hear from you! Connect With Us  Friends With Business Benefits on Substack charlieswift.com love-audrey.com Find Us On Instagram @loveaudrey83 @_charlieswift  Subscribe to Our Mailing Lists Franky’s Mailing List Charlie’s Mailing List Get full access to Friends with Business Benefits at friendswithbusinessbenefits.substack.com/subscribe

    49 min

  4. 23 OCT

    118. The Cosy Episode

    As we head into the darker, colder months of the year, we’re how we embrace and survive the autumn/winter season. Whether you love this time of year or not, there’s something in this mini-episode for everyone.   Charlie describes some of her favourite seasonal rituals and Franky raves about her beloved thermal leggings. From making our homes feel cosy to working from home when it’s cold, we share tips and advice to help you get the most out of this time of year.   Links and Further Reading: The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater Wintering by Katherine May M&S Thermal Leggings Franky’s Wrist Warmers Charlie’s Autumnal  Playlist Join us on Substack where you can share any reflections on the episode in the comment section. Come and tell us your own intentions for Q4…we’d love to cheer you on! Connect With Us  Friends With Business Benefits on Substack charlieswift.com love-audrey.com Find Us On Instagram @loveaudrey83 @_charlieswift  Subscribe to Our Mailing Lists Franky’s Mailing List Charlie’s Mailing List Get full access to Friends with Business Benefits at friendswithbusinessbenefits.substack.com/subscribe

    19 min
  5. 117. Q3 Reflections, Q4 Intentions

    9 OCT

    117. Q3 Reflections, Q4 Intentions

    We’re back from our summer break and ready for a big catch up! In this episode, we’re reflecting on Quarter 3 and looking ahead to Quarter 4. Find out what felt good, what didn’t and what we’ve learned in the process.  We also talk about our words of the year and how they’ve been showing up for us since we last spoke. As well as sharing a few sources of creative inspiration, we dig into our plans for the final three months of 2024 and discuss what we’re both hoping to achieve before the end of the year.    Links and Further Reading Are You Going to Start a Substack? How Are We Showing Up On Substack This Year  What is EFT/’Tapping’? EFT/’Tapping’: Becoming a Channel for Creativity (Releasing Creative Blocks) Join us on Substack where you can share any reflections on the episode in the comment section. Come and tell us your own intentions for Q4…we’d love to cheer you on! Connect With Us  Friends With Business Benefits on Substack charlieswift.com love-audrey.com Find Us On Instagram @loveaudrey83 @_charlieswift  Subscribe to Our Mailing Lists Franky’s Mailing List Charlie’s Mailing List Get full access to Friends with Business Benefits at friendswithbusinessbenefits.substack.com/subscribe

    28 min
  6. 116. SUMMER SERIES - What to Do if Selling Gives You the Ick

    11 SEPT

    116. SUMMER SERIES - What to Do if Selling Gives You the Ick

    Welcome to the Summer Series! After 5 years and 100 episodes, we’re re-releasing some of our favourite conversations while we take some time off from recording. Perhaps you missed them the first time round, but even if you’ve heard them before, we think they’re worth another listen. Friends With Business Benefits will be back with fresh, new episodes in September. In the meantime, we hope you have a great summer. What to Do if Selling Gives You the Ick Originally published June 2022 Does promoting your products and services make you feel a bit… uncomfortable? Do you struggle to show up and sell your stuff? Well, you’re not alone. As well as experiencing this ourselves, it’s something we hear all the time from clients.  In this episode, we’re chatting about why selling can be hard and sharing our advice to make the whole process easier. We cover a lot of ground, including what is and isn’t ‘hard selling’, the mindset shift you might need to make more sales and our new mantra - ‘you are allowed to sell your stuff and make money’.       Links and Further Reading How to Create a Seamless, On-Brand Customer Experience  Liz Mosley  Connect with Us Friends With Business Benefits on Substack charlieswift.com love-audrey.com Find Us On Instagram @loveaudrey83 @_charlieswift Subscribe to our mailing lists Franky’s Mailing List Charlie’s Mailing List Get full access to Friends with Business Benefits at friendswithbusinessbenefits.substack.com/subscribe

    27 min
  7. 115. SUMMER SERIES - Creating Everyday Rituals

    5 SEPT

    115. SUMMER SERIES - Creating Everyday Rituals

    Welcome to the Summer Series! After 5 years and 100 episodes, we’re re-releasing some of our favourite conversations while we take some time off from recording. Perhaps you missed them the first time round, but even if you’ve heard them before, we think they’re worth another listen. Friends With Business Benefits will be back with fresh, new episodes in September. In the meantime, we hope you have a great summer. Creating Everyday Rituals Originally published June 2022 In this mini episode, we're chatting about rituals and sharing the ways in which we both bring a little ritual to our everyday. We talk about how rituals help cultivate moments of mindfulness, connection and calm and the benefit this can have for business owners. We also get a little deep when discussing how rituals foster a reverence for life and help us to feel gratitude for the little things. Friends With Business Benefits on Substack charlieswift.com love-audrey.com Find Us On Instagram @loveaudrey83 @_charlieswift Subscribe to our mailing lists Franky’s Mailing List Charlie’s Mailing List Get full access to Friends with Business Benefits at friendswithbusinessbenefits.substack.com/subscribe

    22 min
  8. 114. SUMMER SERIES - The Business Benefits of Hobbies and Interests

    29 AUG

    114. SUMMER SERIES - The Business Benefits of Hobbies and Interests

    Welcome to the Summer Series! After 5 years and 100 episodes, we’re re-releasing some of our favourite conversations while we take some time off from recording. Perhaps you missed them the first time round, but even if you’ve heard them before, we think they’re worth another listen. Friends With Business Benefits will be back with fresh, new episodes in September. In the meantime, we hope you have a great summer. The Business Benefits of Hobbies and Interests Originally published February 2022 This week, we’re chatting about Franky’s mission to find a new hobby and what she’s learned since she started pursuing a different kind of creativity. As well as describing the perils of monetising your passions and interests, we discuss nurturing your inner child, exploring curiosity peaks in adulthood, and what it feels like to be a beginner for the first time in years. We also cover how to find time for hobbies, the many benefits, and the big difference between creative work and creative play.     Show Links The Artist’s Way Make36 by Elise Joy Why I’m Picking Up a New Hobby This Winter Connect with us Friends With Business Benefits on Substack charlieswift.com love-audrey.com Find Us On Instagram @loveaudrey83 @_charlieswift Subscribe to our mailing lists Franky’s Mailing List Charlie’s Mailing List Get full access to Friends with Business Benefits at friendswithbusinessbenefits.substack.com/subscribe

    37 min
See All (116)

5
out of 5
32 Ratings

About

Friends with Business Benefits hosted by Charlie Swift and Franky Shanahan is a podcast for creatives who crave connection, understanding and support. Hello, we are Charlie and Franky, two self-employed business owners living in Bristol in the southwest of England. Franky runs a copywriting business called Love Audrey, helping brands and creative businesses find their voice and tell their story online. As a business mentor to creative mamas, Charlie supports women to build their businesses alongside raising a family. For the last 5 years, we’ve been meeting for regular co-mentoring sessions. Working for yourself can be lonely at times, but through our monthly meet-ups, we’ve found the support and accountability we were craving in our working lives. Through our podcast, we hope to continue these conversations, share what we’re learning and also learn from you, our listeners. Business Mentoring for Creative Mamas: https://charlieswift.com Copywriting for Creatives: https://www.love-audrey.com friendswithbusinessbenefits.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Charlie Swift
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2024
  • Episodes
    116
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Charlie Swift & Franky Shanahan
  • Show Website
    Friends with Business Benefits

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