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Your smartwatch says you slept ten and a half hours, but you remember staring at the ceiling and watching YouTube. So which do you trust: your body or your data? We start with our weekly “thriving or surviving” check-in and quickly land on the messy reality of modern life in business: low energy, too many inputs, and a constant sense that everything needs sorting right now.
From sleep tracking and tired brains, we move into digital wellbeing and smartphone boundaries. We talk about the weird trap of needing your phone for work, banking, and everyday life, while also feeling anxious about what happens if you switch it off. Do Not Disturb helps, but the fear of the 1am buzz is still there and we share a proper middle-of-the-night emergency call story that explains why that dread is so sticky. If you have ever thought “I’d love to disconnect, but I can’t”, you will recognise yourself here.
Then we lighten it with the stuff that genuinely keeps us steady: small joys, comfort books, comfort films, and music you never skip. We debate whether rewatching a favourite film multiple times a year is comforting or just odd, and we end up talking about how art, stories, and songs can change your mood fast. There’s also gym induction dread, the “day pass” that isn’t a day, and the very real fear of using a machine wrong and going viral, plus a quick nod to cult TV and a friend’s AI called Holly.
If any of this hits home, subscribe to Allegedly Thriving, share it with a mate who needs a laugh, and leave us a review. What is the one boundary or small joy you are choosing this week?Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours.
If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters:
Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography and TerryHarrisonArt
Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius: Howell Studios and Howell Media -
The fastest way to spot a founder is simple: ask them to take a week off and watch the panic set in. We’re Martin and Izzy, and we’re balancing two very different ends of the small business world, from solo creative work to building a studio hire space that can operate without the owner hovering over every decision. That contrast sparks a frank chat about holiday guilt, letting go, and why switching off can feel weirdly similar to leaving your child overnight for the first time.
We get practical about what actually helps: handovers that are clear, processes that are written down, and the mindset shift from doing everything yourself to overseeing people you trust.We also dig into the reality of a family business and why strict boundaries matter, including a surprisingly relatable professionalism problem: when your Google contacts accidentally CC “Dad” into a client email. It’s funny, but it’s also a reminder that branding, communication, and role separation are part of running a credible business.
Then we zoom out into social media pressure, online anonymity, and the myth that everyone must have a public presence to be “real”. From there we end up where Britain often ends up: politics, soundbites, and the HS2 saga, complete with a genuinely tempting alternative plan involving a high-speed roller coaster. We land the plane with the smaller stuff that keeps you sane, like decompression rituals after work, sensory discomfort with “outdoor clothes”, grounding scepticism, and an unfiltered debate about Crocs.If you enjoy honest business talk with a bit of chaos, subscribe, share this with a fellow founder, and leave us a review. What’s the one thing you struggle to switch off from?
Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours.
If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters:
Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography and TerryHarrisonArt
Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius: Howell Studios and Howell Media -
Saknas det avsnitt?
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In this episode of Allegedly Thriving, Izzy opens with an uncharacteristically slick intro before they immediately agreeing that the podcast probably needs a helpline disclaimer.
Feeling fresh from a long Easter break they talk about unread messages, professional anxiety and whether you should save the good stuff for “special occasions" or just enjoy them now!They round out with wedding-industry horror, Build-A-Bear trauma, the weirdness of collecting things.
Its the usual mix of insightfulness and chaos
Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours.
If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters:
Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography and TerryHarrisonArt
Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius: Howell Studios and Howell Media -
In Episode 8 of Allegedly Thriving, Martin tries to keep the ship pointed vaguely at “podcast structure” while Izzy admits she’s still in surviving mode.
Izzy opens up about the weird creative-business paradox: the more attention and praise she gets, the less confident she feels, then covers ways to quiet her brain - Think repainting the kitchen pink, learning embroidery, and leaning fully into “grandma chic.”
Then the conversation does what this podcast does best: veers hard into culture and chaos. Repetitive tasks (crochet vs soul-crushing science), British bureaucracy, national trolling and the big question: if a show or film is rubbish, do you leave or do you sit there out of spite because you paid for it?
Expect strong opinions on Avatar, unexpected drive-in trauma from A Star Is Born, a love letter to terrible films (including Titanic 2), and a comfort-watch roll call from Brooklyn Nine-Nine to Twilight
Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours.
If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters:
Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography and TerryHarrisonArt
Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius: Howell Studios and Howell Media -
Welcome to our first one with Video - a huge thanks to Issy for letting us use her Looks Like We Made It set for this one - we are working on our own in coming episodes so watch out for that!
in this one Issy’s away recharging this week, so Martin’s drafted in special guest James for a proper catch-up.
James is a music guru and an Synth savant and currently works around the North East helping primary school kids work together to create a band - think school of rock but with all the required checks and qualifications!
James is here to tell us all about his launching of the Junior Producer Club, where kids step into an “imaginarium of synths” and leave with a track they actually made.
Expect tangents, chaos, and at least one conversation about strangled geese, so in other works the same as every other week.
To get in touch with James about his Junior Producer Club and anything else to do with synths or music creation, email him at [email protected]
Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours.
If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters:
Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography and TerryHarrisonArt
Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius: Howell Studios and Howell Media -
In Episode 7 of Allegedly Thriving, Izzy and Martin are back in the studio with more space, more distance, and (thankfully) less bao-bun-and-death ambience than the last mobile episode.
Martin’s thriving after saying yes to a huge opportunity: photographing the Business Beats Cancer annual gala dinner at St James’ Park and experiences the special kind of exhaustion known as shoot tired.
Izzy’s thriving too leaning hard into self-care, think skincare routines, solo Metrocentre shopping, and a serious reading streak!
Along the way, they go off-road into airports, duty-free perfume chaos, business class lounges, the weirdness of selling channels at 2am, and Izzy’s childhood cruise memory where money had no meaning and the bill definitely did.
Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours.
If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters:
Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography and TerryHarrisonArt
Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius: Howell Studios and Howell Media -
In Episode 6 of Allegedly Thriving, Izzy and Martin finally nail the intro, only to immediately record in the noisiest possible location: The Stack in Seaburn, a giant tin box of kids, music, and questionable puns.
Martin’s thriving after sitting down to map out proper short, medium and long tem goals.
Izzy’s thriving too but theres a quick hard left into mortality: the weird comfort of planning your own death, the fear of a stupid death, and what “legacy” actually means when you strip away money and status.
Somewhere between McDonald’s orders, coffee slander, and the ethics of saying “bougie”, they stumble into a surprisingly solid branding conversation: why audiences can sense quality, why consistency matters more than constant rebrands and how a few stable “brand DNA” elements can carry everything else.
This weeks teachable moment: “People change their brand rather than fixing the problems underneath.”
This is all about us having a chat, a laugh and hopefully share some hints and tips to help survive life!
Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours.
If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters:
Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography and TerryHarrisonArt
Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius: Howell Studios and Howell Media -
Martin’s thriving off a surprisingly satisfying phone-photography gig, Izzy’s surviving via a Lake District bookshop fantasy, and they spiral into the most important debate yet: nip vs pop?
In Episode 5 of Allegedly Thriving, Martin and Izzy finally attempt a proper intro (names included… eventually) before diving into the weekly check-in.
Martin’s thriving after a genuinely enjoyable commercial shoot photographing mobile phones, who knew something so mundane could be so challenging!
Izzy is surviving, it’s been a rough week, and her brain keeps escaping to a cosy fantasy life running a bookshop-café in a quiet Lake District village.
From there, the conversation swings through coffee snobbery, cake loyalties, and the reality of learning new skills as an adult which includes a couch-to-5K epiphany and frustration at the “TikTok-ification” of hobbies.
Finally the biggest question of all - what’s the actual difference between nipping to the shops and popping to the shops?
Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours.
If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters:
Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography and TerryHarrisonArt
Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius: Howell Studios and Howell Media -
In Episode 4 of Allegedly Thriving, Martin and Issy do the weekly check-in and immediately prove why the show is called Allegedly!
Issy says she’s thriving but admits that success makes her more anxious, because she’s constantly waiting for the moment it all goes wrong.
Martin relates from the other side: the strange self-employed paradox where you get the freedom to choose your hours as well as the freedom to worry in every single one of them.
We get into the guilt of taking time off, the weird “enforced rest” fantasies that show you you’re edging toward burnout, and why adulthood never quite feels as adult as you expect.
Then we swerve into reality TV, creative work, and a genuinely specific phobia that’s inconveniently common at National Trust properties.
Quote of the episode: “I’ve dabbled in the ‘just a little coma’ fantasy.”
This is all about us having a chat, a laugh and hopefully share some hints and tips to help survive life!
Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours.
If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters:
Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography and TerryHarrisonArt
Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius: Howell Studios and Howell Media -
Welcome to our first podcast!
Join Issy Howell (Howell Media and Howell Studios) and Martin Newham (Martin Newham Photography) as they talk about the stresses and challenges of running small businesses in the North East and Life in General
In this debut, we talk perception vs reality in business, imposter syndrome, and why “looking like you’ve got it together” rarely matches what’s happening behind the scenes.
Issy shares what self-employment looks like when you’re also raising a toddler, and Martin admits that social media can make all of us feel like we’re falling behind.
Also: dead artists, rescue chickens, tech detoxes, and a very strong opinion on how to pronounce aluminium.
This is all about us having a chat, a laugh and hopefully share some hints and tips to help survive life!
Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours.
If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters:
Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography and TerryHarrisonArt
Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius: Howell Studios and Howell Media -
In Episode 2 of Allegedly Thriving, Martin and Issy check in on the week thats gone by and ask the question: "Are we thriving or surviving?"
Issy’s been surviving her daughter’s third birthday celebrations (think soft play that feels like Saving Private Ryan), while Martin’s thriving work-wise but battling a brain that won’t switch off at night.
From recurring stress dreams and the pressure of “soaking in” success, to whether your heart is “cheering you on” or just panicking, we end up where we always do: honest, a bit chaotic, and weirdly relatable.
Also, what furniture would you be, which animal would you rather fight and why petrol roulette might say more about your personality than you’d like.
This is all about us having a chat, a laugh and hopefully share some hints and tips to help survive life!
Warning - we do go off topic - a LOT!
Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours.
If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters:
Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography and TerryHarrisonArt
Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius: Howell Studios and Howell Media -
In Episode 3 of Allegedly Thriving, Martin and Issy check in and ask the weekly question: "Are we thriving or surviving?"
Issy is firmly in survival mode after a brutal run of seven speaking gigs in four weeks, followed immediately by her body dropping the “you’re ill now” hammer.
We talk about what speaking teaches you (including the surprisingly strategic role of clothing), why nerves don’t always get quieter with repetition, and how small business life is basically a rotating set of comfort zones and panic zones.
From networking tactics (white-knighting strangers via the tea station) to Martin’s pothole-of-doom tyre saga and a sudden breakthrough on sales funnels , the episode lands on a surprisingly wholesome truth: everyone is winging it!
Also we talk about nursery apps, scarlet fever headlines and the spiritual power of one sunny day in the North East.
This is all about us having a chat, a laugh and hopefully share some hints and tips to help survive life!
Thanks for listening to Allegedly Thriving and for coming along for the inevitable detours.
If you want to learn more about the two potentially unhinged presenters:
Martin - Photographer and Owner of Terry Harrison Art: Martin Newham Photography and TerryHarrisonArt
Issy - Director, Owner and all round Digital Genius: Howell Studios and Howell Media
