Scale Her Up: Female business stories and expert tips for business growth and success

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Fiona MacEachern, Managing Director of Loch Lomond Brewery and Levenbank Distillery — a business she started from scratch with her husband in 2011, home brewing for fun, and has grown into a 15-strong team producing 6,000 hectoliters of beer a year, alongside gin, vodka, rum and their own whiskey barrels.This is one of those conversations that stays with you. Fiona is honest, direct and refreshingly no-nonsense — about what it really takes to build a business from nothing, what happened when she faced cancer treatment while running the company, and why not doing something is always worse than trying and failing.We cover:- How Loch Lomond Brewery started from home brewing and became a brewery, distillery and taproom- Growing from one employee to 15 — and why building trust takes time- Why Fiona gave up a career as a police officer to start the business (and what finally pushed her over the edge)- Working with her husband and the boundaries that have kept the marriage intact for 25 years- Cash flow as the constant challenge — and how crowdfunding raised £250,000 to fund their expansion- Managing the business through cancer treatment — and why coming to work was her support network- What it's like to be a woman in the brewing industry- The natural progression from beer to spirits — and how selling whiskey barrels helped fund the distillery- Her honest, respectful take on BrewDog and what they did for the Scottish brewing industry- What's next for Loch Lomond Brewery and Levenbank Distillery**Quote of the episode:** *"If you do it and fail, that's a good thing. Not doing it is not a good thing — because you've never achieved your full potential."* — Fiona MacEachernIf you're thinking about starting something, scaling something, or just wondering whether all the hard work is worth it — this episode will remind you that it is.

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Anne Wright, Finance Director of FBD Consultancy — a husband-and-wife accounting practice that started with no clients, no money and a house with no gable end, and has grown into a team of nine over nearly 20 years.Anne is a CIPFA-qualified accountant and a passionate advocate for small businesses. She's also spent 15 years as a QuickBooks software trainer, delivering sessions from Northern Ireland to Orkney — a journey that transformed her confidence and proved that an accountant who says yes to opportunities can end up doing far more than pushing spreadsheets.In this conversation, Anne shares honest reflections on the realities of running a finance business alongside her husband, the financial pressures hitting small businesses right now, and the simple advice she'd give to any business owner: just don't give up.We cover:- What FBD Consultancy does and the clients they work with- The real financial challenges facing small businesses right now — including rising costs, employers' national insurance and Making Tax Digital (MTD) explained clearly- The story of how FBD Consultancy started (hint: it wasn't planned)- Why there's no such thing as the right time to start a business- What nearly 20 years of working alongside your husband actually looks like- The biggest obstacle in running any business: getting paid- Why you have to build a team if you ever want your time back- How Anne went from accountant-behind-a-spreadsheet to confident public trainer- The importance of grabbing opportunities even when you're not sure you can do it- What Anne would tell her 18-year-old self — and why it's advice that's still relevant today- What's next for Anne and for FBD Consultancy**Quote of the episode:** *"Just don't give up. Put one foot in front of the other and see it through."* — Anne WrightIf you're a small business owner who wants to understand your numbers better, or you're thinking about building a team and taking a step back — this episode is full of grounded, practical wisdom from someone who has lived it.