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Style and Substance

Style and Substance

Elizabeth Cairns & Fiona Humberstone 137 Episodes Jul 1, 2026

Style and Substance is a branding and business podcast hosted by Fiona Humberstone, The Brand Stylist, and Elizabeth Cairns, The Empowered Entrepreneur. It provides inspiration, insights, and expertise to help creative entrepreneurs navigate branding and business. The show focuses on sidestepping the hustle, keeping joy at the forefront, and finding a more meaningful and sustainable approach to business.

Episodes

A Guided Practice to Cultivate Spaciousness Jul 1, 2026 16:39 Last week Fiona and I talked about the need for space to feed creativity and joy in our work and we know that the pace of this year can get a little overwhelming at times...so we're here to offer a little antidote to the haste and the hustle.As Fiona is away on a photoshoot in Guernsey this week, instead of our usual format, I've recorded a guided practice for you. This is aimed at helping you cul
Planning for a Restorative Summer Jun 24, 2026 51:44 Phew! this year is galloping away lovely listeners and in this episode, as we've passed the crest of midsummer, we're thinking ahead a few weeks to the summer break. Both Fi and I traditionally take around six weeks off over the summer and today we enjoy a wide ranging conversation about why we feel the need and how we plan for it. We explore the difference for us between rest and restoration, the
Understanding the Summer Seasonal Personality - Colour Psychology for Branding Jun 17, 2026 33:44 We continue our Colour Psychology for Branding series with this episode as we dig into the hazy delights of summer.In this conversation, Fiona walks us through the nuances of the summer seasonal personality and how we translate it through to a beautiful, stylish and elegant brand identity. We'll explore the colours, shapes, textures, photography styles, typography and key considerations for any bu
Our First Priority as Empowered Entrepreneurs... Jun 10, 2026 44:53 Business is asking a lot of us at the moment and it's a whirlwind of creativity and genuine joy, but to ride those wild horses we are having to double down on looking after ourselves and keeping our vitality high. So this week, along with our regular catch up, Elizabeth is reading from the first chapter of her book the Empowered Entrepreneur, entitled 'Vitality - The Sustaining Force of your Busin
Finding a Name that Works for your Business Jun 3, 2026 48:01 What's in a name? When it comes to branding, a whole lot!Naming brands and products is one of our absolute favourite things to do and there's nothing quite like that feeling and the traction you get when you land on one that is just right for your business. In this episode we talk through some of the things we consider when it comes to naming, why we avoid AI and, amongst other things, some of the
Maintaining your Edge as the Market Inevitably Shifts May 20, 2026 47:34 One of the great joys and benefits of entrepreneurship is we get to be nimble, we can flex and evolve as circumstances change the face of business rarely stays the same over time. Fiona and I have certainly enjoyed a varied 25 years or so in business and today we're sharing a little of that picture.Whilst we may have learnt how to adapt over the years, one thing sadly neither of us has ever been a
Getting Personal about Mental Health May 13, 2026 51:35 This week is mental health awareness week and so we're taking the opportunity to dig a little deeper into what tending to our mental health as entrepreneurs looks like for us. In this wide ranging conversation, we explore some of the unique conditions that leave entrepreneurs potentially vulnerable to mental health struggles and how we deal with those ourselves. We dig into vulnerability and how i
Creating the Conditions for Creativity to Thrive May 6, 2026 38:40 Creativity, in our books is the not-so-secret sauce that makes doing business well taste more than just a little bit delicious. It's also what Fi in particular trades off and has built a thriving business around. In this episode we dig into what drives creativity for Fi. We explore some of the nuances that enable creativity to thrive and why AI may be the next best thing since sliced bread...but i
11 Essential Questions to Ask Yourself If you Want a Destination Brand Apr 29, 2026 22:11 Building a destination brand can make wonderful things happen for your business and your life. And, as Fiona is off enjoying those benefits in Rome on a photoshoot this week, we have a slightly different episode on the pod for you today. I'll be reading from her best selling book Brand Brilliance and sharing her thoughts on building a destination brand and the essential brand strategy questions th
Writing Great Copy without the Angst Apr 22, 2026 51:25 Writing great copy is not everyones favourite pastime but if you want to realise the potential of your brand, honing an authentic voice and nailing your copy is pretty essential. We use it pretty much everywhere, our website, social media, media kits, welcome guides, proposals...the list goes on. By now you probably know how we feel about resorting to AI for this kind of thing, so in this episode
Planning a Knockout Photoshoot for Your Brand Apr 15, 2026 48:35 We know just how transformative the right photography can be for a brand and a business. Getting that photography is no mean feat, so today we are unpacking some of what it takes to plan and execute a knockout photoshoot. We explore locations, practicalities and how to get most bang for your buck if you're on a tight budget. The resources mentioned can be found on The Brand Stylist Academy here:Ar
Creating a Halo Effect with Your Brand Mar 24, 2026 41:18 The Halo Effect is a powerful way to shape perception of your business and creates reputational momentum that can work wonders when its done well. Today we are digging deep into how we can use the Halo Effect to create excitement, remove friction and build loyalty for your brand and what to watch for that kills the effect dead if we're not careful. Enjoy this last episode of the season and we'll b

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