Success on paper, imposter syndrome in practice. Allegedly Thriving is a weekly podcast with Issy and Martin for anyone building a business whilst quietly wondering whether they are doing any of it right!
Another Audio only one this week as the Allegedly Thriving team try and catch up with other outstanding tasks! This week’s episode starts exactly where you’d expect from Allegedly Thriving: warmed toilet seats, “moon landings,” and a rant about heated steering wheels… before it swings into something genuinely wholesome. Issy’s thriving after a heart-melting morning recording a podcast with teens from a special educational needs school—nerves, excitement, and pure presenter energy included. Th...
15 Jul 2026
#15 - Unicorns, Overwhelm and Cheese
Martin and Issy are back… after losing last week’s recording (Martin’s fault), and this time they’re recording from Issy’s brand new studio unit—because the businesses have expanded, merged, and evolved into a chaotic new era where Issy is now Martin’s landlord. They’re both thriving, but in very different flavours: Issy’s thriving… and completely overwhelmed (imposter syndrome, too many plates spinning, and the desperate need for an “Easter” style circuit-breaker where everyone disappears at...
8 Jul 2026
#14 - Buffet Etiquette, superstitions and Pink Hair Power
It’s Big June, which means: everyone suddenly has budget, every event lands at once, and Martin and Issy are running on fumes. In this episode, they’re thriving because busy season is booming They debrief a two-day festival, a full-day marketing conference, and a studio day packed with client content… then immediately spiral into the important topics: why wireless kit is worth it, the horrors of buffet etiquette, and the grim truth about chocolate fountains. Also in this episode: the event th...
1 Jul 2026
#13 - Big June, Bad Luck, and Bouncing Back
It’s been a few weeks, and Issy returns with a story Martin has been desperate to tell: the day she joined the gym… and somehow managed to injure both ankles within minutes of signing a 12‑month contract. From the initial road rage omen, to the treadmill dismount that turned into a double “pop”, to the brutal reality of A&E, crutches, and a toddler who thinks hiding them is comedy gold—this episode is a chaotic reminder that small business life doesn’t pause just because your body does. A...
24 Jun 2026
#12 - Ducks, Phones and Gyms
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...
17 Jun 2026
#11 - Holidays, Sleep and Crocs
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...
10 Jun 2026
#10 - Ghosting, bears and piercings
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 insightful...
3 Jun 2026
#09 - Attention, Banter and Titanic II
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...
29 May 2026
08: Imaginariums, Geese and a special Guest
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 c...
27 May 2026
#07 - Shoot tired, Ocean Village and Easter Bunnies
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 ...
20 May 2026
#06: Bao Buns, Branding and Death
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...
13 May 2026
#05: Baristas, Running and Social 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 ...
6 May 2026
#04: The Apprentice, Creatives and Visibility
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 we...
29 Apr 2026
#02: Dreams, Hat Racks and how to Fill Your Car.
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 ...
29 Apr 2026
#01: Issy, Martin and Podcasting
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 toddle...
29 Apr 2026
#03: Grumblings, Networking and Garden Centers
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 comfor...
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