Really F*cking Trying
Really Fucking Trying is the podcast for anyone navigating the wild ride of small business life. Hosted by your new small biz besties, Jade Muat-Dodd and Ellie Francesca, we’re here to keep it real about the highs, lows, and everything in between. Join us as we dive into the creative hustle, sharing the wins, the fails, and the lessons learned along the way. Whether you’re just starting out or deep in the trenches, we’re here to remind you: you’re not alone, and you’ve totally got this.
Episodes
“You are the business, the business is you.” It’s a statement we’ve uttered countless times on this podcast. But just how much of you should go into your business?
Is there a fine line between personality and professionalism? Has social media forced us to perform for our audience rather than simply talk to them? And do political views have a place in your small biz?
These are the all important questions we&r...
Let’s talk stockists! In this episode, we’re joined by the lovely Heather from Heather Anne Home Fragrance to chat all about getting your makes stocked on the high street!
If you’ve ever wondered how to approach stockists, how much stock to offer, how to keep track of inventory, what to do (and definitely what not to do), or whether having stockists is even worth it… We have MANY thoughts, experiences and b...
Today we’re not speaking as Ellie and Jade…
Instead, we’re joined by Sas from Sassy Makes, and we’re putting on our other hats as ‘Green Jam Creatives’ and ‘Hazlehurst & Friends’
What really goes into running a brick-and-mortar shop that stocks over 90 artists? How hard is it to organise and run your own artisan market? Well… We’ve got the experience! And we&rs...
Started your business from a hobby you loved? Now you’ve got a mini empire and that hobby makes up about 5% of what you actually do? Fucking same, babes. Let’s talk about it.
This week we’re diving into productivity. The art of getting shit done… or lack of it in some cases. We’re talking to-do lists, being our own worst boss, toxic hustle culture, social media trends, and one very controversial &lsqu...
Okay, okay... the girlies have been busy this month.
We promise not to make a habit of it, but while we're juggling businesses, life, and trying to keep all our ducks in a row, we've put together a little compilation episode of some of our favourite Q&As from previous episodes.
So if you're new around here and fancy a catch-up, this is a great place to start. It's packed with some of our favourite questions and advice.
Th...
This week we’re getting into the nitty gritty of mental health - where the line sits between self-care and self-destruct, and how it actually feels to navigate it all while running a small business.
We’re joined by Katie from Mama Bear Creates for a real, open conversation about decision fatigue, coping mechanisms, the not-so-pretty sides of “self-care”, and what’s actually helped (and what hasn’...
We’re back! And this one involves you guys 👀
When you run a small biz for any length of time, or do anything remotely creative, expect plenty of ‘Why the fuck did I do that?!’ moments 🤷♀️ To be honest… it’s basically in the job description at this point 😅
And of course, they’re frustrating - but they happen to ALL of us. So fuck it, let’s laugh about it instead.
From typos to misprints...
This week we’re finally tackling the topic we can’t avoid any longer (trust us, we’ve tried) - the financial side of running a small business.
From start-up costs and packaging expenses to keeping your business afloat, managing fluctuating material prices, staying on top of your finances, and facing the dreaded self-assessment… Nothing is off the table.
We’re also talking about why making a loss isn&r...
This episode has landed right between Galentine’s and International Women’s Day, so it felt like the perfect time to chat about female empowerment, and what it’s actually like being women in the small biz world.
We’re also joined by the lovely Caitlin from W0bblybits, who shares her story and her take on building a business as a woman doing things her own way.
We’re sharing our own experiences of worki...
In this episode we’re joined by David from Wooden Heart Customs to chat about the glow-up from “I made this” to “people can actually buy this.”
We get into the difference between custom work vs reproducible products, the mistakes we’ve made along the way (yes, including bad orders and questionable decisions), and what it really takes to turn a handmade idea into something sellable.
If you’v...
In this episode we’re taking a moment to look back on our first full year of Really Fucking Trying.
We talk honestly about what the past year has actually looked like behind the scenes - the work that goes into planning, recording and releasing each episode, what surprised us, what was harder than we expected, and what we’ve learned along the way. From juggling creativity with consistency to figuring things out as we go...
It’s a new year! Are we new people? Absolutely not.
In this episode, we’re kicking off another year the only way we know how: by rejecting “new year, new me,” ignoring resolutions, and accepting that we are simply carrying the same personalities and problems straight into January.
It’s really fucking Christmas! 🎄✨ For our Christmas special, we’re ditching the business chat and leaning fully into the festive chaos. We’re joined by the lovely Sas from Sassy Makes for a cosy catch-up all about fun, friends, and festive vibes. Expect laughs, Christmas opinions, tangents, and absolutely zero productivity chat. Grab a drink, get comfy, and come hang out with us.
It’s Merry Bizmas!
In this episode we’re joined by Chloe from Chloe Fluff Studios to talk all things festive chaos - the Christmas markets that drain your soul and your stock levels, the pressure to stay merry when you’re freezing your tits off behind your stall, and the big question: when the hell are we supposed to take a break?
We’re sharing the good, the bad, and the mildly unhinged parts of surviving th...
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… and for small business owners, that can only mean one thing: chaos.
In this episode, we sit down with Rosie from Rosie Roo Creations to chat about the highs, lows and absolute madness that comes with the festive season. From product planning and promotion to managing orders and navigating postage nightmares, we’re keeping it honest about what it’s really like beh...
This week, we’re joined by Amy from Cornucopia Creative to chat all things focus - or, more accurately, our constant battle with not having any. From endless to-do lists and shiny new ideas to actually getting shit done, we’re sharing our biggest struggles, some magic tricks that help us concentrate, and a few chaotic stories along the way.
If your brain feels like a browser with 47 tabs open, this one’s for you. ...
Running a small business isn’t always cute packaging and loyal customers… sometimes it’s straight-up terrifying. In this episode, we’re reading out YOUR small biz horror stories - from nightmare clients and scammy “collabs” to the times you got completely ghosted after doing all the work.
It’s a mix of cautionary tales, chaos, and a bit of collective trauma - because if we can’t laug...
Burnout is real, and sometimes it hits harder than we expect. In this episode, we get honest about our own struggles with burnout, sharing the moments that left us drained, overwhelmed, and questioning everything. We also dive into the techniques that actually work (for us) - how to stop burnout before it starts, shift your mindset, and pull yourself out of that rut when it hits.
We’re joined by Clare from Peach Swizzle, who ...
So, you’ve started the biz… now what? In this second half of our two-part series, we’re talking all about what happens after the launch - the messy middle of actually growing a business. From setting (and re-setting) goals, to navigating those inevitable growing pains, to the good lessons we’ve picked up along the way, we’re spilling it all.
We’re also joined by the brilliant Becci from Palm Hou...
Starting a business is equal parts exciting, terrifying, and a little bit chaotic — and in this episode we’re diving right into it. Building the Biz: Beginning Your Business Journey is the first in our two-part series on what it really takes to run your own thing.
We’re chatting about how we each got started, the messy beginnings that don’t always make the Instagram feed, and the lessons we learned in those ...
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