Business Class

In this week's episode of Business Class, Vicky Owens sits down with creator, investor and personal finance educator Mia McGrath live from SXSW for an honest conversation about building a personal brand in the modern creator economy.
After growing her audience to nearly one million followers in under a year, Mia shares the reality behind rapid growth, content creation, personal branding, social media strategy and turning a passion project into a full-time business.
Together, Vicky and Mia discuss:
• How Mia grew her audience from zero to almost one million followers
• The content strategy behind consistent growth
• Finding your niche in a crowded market
• Building a personal brand people actually remember
• Handling criticism, scrutiny and online hate
• Balancing authenticity with privacy online
• Creator burnout, social media breaks and staying creative
• Working with brands and monetising content effectively
• Why storytelling matters more than information alone
• Outsourcing, scaling and running a creator-led business
Whether you're a founder, creator, freelancer or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode is packed with practical insights on growing an audience, building authority and creating content that converts.
Subscribe to Business Class with Vicky Owens for weekly conversations with founders, creators and business leaders sharing the lessons behind their success.
This episode of Business Class is sponsored by Plannerly, the all-in-one social media planning and content management platform trusted by creators and business owners. If you're looking to stay consistent on social media, organise your content calendar and grow your online presence, use code VICKY10 for 10% off your Plannerly plan.
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Produced by TAEPodcast www.taepodcast.co.uk

This week on Business Class, Vicky Owens tackles real business dilemmas submitted by listeners and shares honest advice on everything from difficult clients and influencer marketing disasters to team management, leadership, founder wellbeing, and personal branding.
Fresh from hosting her first Business Class Founders Dinner, Vicky opens up about the realities of running a business, managing stress, regulating your nervous system, and why success doesn't always feel as glamorous as it looks online.
In this episode:
• Handling difficult clients and setting better boundaries
• Managing employees and navigating team dynamics
• Asking for a pay rise and knowing your worth
• Influencer marketing mistakes and expensive business lessons
• What to do when a campaign goes viral for the wrong reasons
• Founder burnout, anxiety, and decision fatigue
• Growing a personal brand that creates opportunities
• Leadership lessons every business owner needs to hear
Whether you're running a startup, scaling a business, building a personal brand, or simply trying to survive the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, this episode is packed with practical advice, relatable stories, and real-world business insights.
So take your seat, strap in, and welcome aboard Business Class.
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Produced by TAEPodcast www.taepodcast.co.uk

Welcome aboard to Business Class — the podcast for entrepreneurs, creators and ambitious minds building success from the ground up, hosted by Vicky Owens. This honest and inspiring business podcast dives into the highs, lows and everything in between when it comes to running a business, building a brand and chasing big goals.
In this incredibly value-packed episode, Vicky sits down with entrepreneur and TikTok expert Matthew Bellingham for his very first podcast interview — and trust us, you’ll want your notes app open for this one.
At just 20 years old, Matthew has already built and scaled multiple successful businesses. From growing up in the care system and launching a TikTok agency at only 16 years old, to building a million-pound valuation business before burnout forced him to reassess everything, his story is nothing short of inspiring. Matthew now helps lead Kansan Skincare, a fast-growing beauty brand stocked in Boots, Holland & Barrett and LOOKFANTASTIC, while also becoming one of the leading voices in TikTok Shop strategy and social commerce.
In this episode, Vicky and Matthew discuss:
Building a successful business at a young age
Growing up in the care system and overcoming adversity
The reality of burnout, stress and entrepreneurship
Building and managing a team
How TikTok Shop really works behind the scenes
TikTok marketing strategies for brands in 2026
Affiliate marketing and going viral on TikTok
Business mindset, confidence and imposter syndrome
Scaling brands through social media and live selling
Why authenticity wins in content creation
This episode is packed with actionable business advice, social media marketing insights, entrepreneurship lessons and honest conversations about what it really takes to build a successful brand online.
Sponsored by Planoly ✈️
Planoly is the ultimate creator toolkit for planning, scheduling and growing your social media with ease. From content scheduling and link-in-bio tools to built-in storefronts and digital product selling, it helps creators and business owners stay consistent without juggling multiple platforms.
Use code VICKY10 for 10% off your Planoly plan.
If you enjoyed this episode of Business Class, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and share it with a fellow entrepreneur or business bestie.
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Produced by TAEPodcast www.taepodcast.co.uk

Welcome aboard to Business Class - the podcast for entrepreneurs, creators and ambitious business owners navigating the journey to success. In this solo episode, Vicky Owens opens up about the reality of running a fast-growing business, managing a team, building a personal brand and trying to stay organised when every week looks completely different.

After what felt like a complete disaster month in April, Vicky shares the honest behind-the-scenes of what forced her to rethink productivity, time management, boundaries and business organisation. From feeling overwhelmed and overstretched to creating a “Tetris-style” calendar system that actually works, this episode is packed with relatable advice for entrepreneurs trying to juggle everything at once.

Vicky talks about:

•Productivity tips for business owners
•Time management and organisation hacks
•How to structure your week as an entrepreneur
•Creating boundaries in business
•Using AI tools like ChatGPT and Opus Clip to save time
•Managing a growing team and avoiding burnout
•Personal branding and content creation strategies
•Why business owners feel overwhelmed
•The importance of business development days
•How to stop overbooking yourself
•Creating realistic routines that actually fit your lifestyle

She also shares how she uses voice notes, journalling, alarms, AI automation and weekly audits to better understand where her time is going — plus why she believes no entrepreneur truly has it all figured out.

If you’re a business owner, freelancer, content creator or anyone trying to balance ambition with real life, this episode will make you feel far less alone.

This episode is sponsored by [Planoly](https://www.planoly.co...) — the all-in-one social media planning tool Vicky has used for years to schedule content, organise campaigns and manage both her own platforms and client accounts. Use code Vicky10 for 10% off your Planoly plan.

Don’t forget to rate, follow and share the podcast if you enjoyed the episode, and welcome aboard to Business Class.

Produced by TAEPodcast - www.taepodcast.co.uk
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Produced by TAEPodcast www.taepodcast.co.uk

Welcome aboard to Business Class - the podcast for entrepreneurs, creators, and ambitious people building success in real time.
In this solo episode, Vicky Owens gets brutally honest about the realities of entrepreneurship, burnout, anxiety, leadership, and building a successful social media strategy from scratch. After a chaotic week of cancelled guests, business pressure, and overwhelming schedules, Vicky decided to sit down solo and answer one of the most requested topics from listeners: how to actually create a social media strategy that grows your brand, audience, and business.
From defining your content pillars and understanding your target audience, to creating viral TikTok and Instagram content, building a powerful personal brand, increasing engagement, and using AI tools to simplify your workflow - this episode is packed with actionable advice for business owners, creators, influencers, and anyone trying to grow online in 2026.
Vicky also opens up about the emotional side of running a business, including rebuilding confidence as a leader, navigating anxiety and panic attacks, balancing work and personal life, and the pressure that comes with constantly chasing growth and success as a first-time entrepreneur.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to stay consistent on social media, struggled to grow your audience, or wondered why your content isn’t converting into sales, this episode will completely change the way you approach your online strategy.
Topics covered in this episode:
How to build a successful social media strategy
Growing on TikTok and Instagram in 2026
Content pillars and audience targeting
Building a personal brand online
Social media marketing tips for entrepreneurs
How to create viral content consistently
Content batching and repurposing strategies
Using AI and automation for social media growth
Leadership lessons as a first-time business owner
Entrepreneurship, burnout, and anxiety
Growing a podcast and online community
Why consistency matters more than perfection
How social media can create business opportunities
Overcoming fear, self-doubt, and perfectionism online
Whether you’re a business owner, freelancer, content creator, coach, or someone trying to grow a brand online, this episode is your reminder that success on social media isn’t luck - it’s strategy, consistency, and showing up even when it feels uncomfortable.
So take your seats, strap in, and welcome aboard to Business Class.
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Produced by TAEPodcast www.taepodcast.co.uk