This is a special re-release of the most-listened-to episode of Scale Her Up. Katie Watson’s story of transformation—from crippling childhood shyness to leading the BWC Futures group and excelling at the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce—is a masterclass in resilience and authentic career building.

How do you go from being too shy to leave your house to hosting major networking events for young professionals? In this special re-release of the Scale HER Up's most popular episode ever, Dr Brenda Hector talks with Katie Watson of the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

Katie shares her journey through a childhood diagnosis of depression at age 12 to becoming the lead for BWC Futures, a group dedicated to supporting women aged 16–25 in their early careers. We discuss the "hunt as the feast," the power of vulnerability in leadership, and why reinventing yourself is sometimes the best career move you can make.

Key Takeaways:

• Reinventing the Self: How Katie used University as a "fresh chance" to move past her history with mental health .
• BWC Futures: Creating safe, drink-free spaces for young women to connect and grow.
• The "Why" and the "How": Navigating the critics who question your ambition before they ask for your secrets.
• Aberdeen’s Future: How the Chamber is helping businesses "fall back in love" with the region.

From war zones in Iraq to the boardrooms of the North Sea energy sector, Diana Muriel’s career is a masterclass in high-stakes communication. In this episode, she shares why she traded her blood-group-stamped vest for a role as a "Family Manager" and corporate consultant, proving that the most powerful tool in any business is the ability to tell a simple, truthful story .

Dr. Brenda Hector sits down with Diana Muriel, Communications Manager at Serica Energy and former CNN International war correspondent . Diana reveals how she navigated the transition from the frontlines to corporate "Issues Management" at Shell, where she became the "agony aunt" for engineers with buried skeletons . They discuss why CEOs are essentially just engineers who can communicate, the "cruel" reality of the workforce for mothers, and a breathtaking story from a Kabul washhouse that taught Diana the ultimate lesson: to earn trust, you must first display your own vulnerability .

The Hook: She reported on the collapse of economies and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, Diana Muriel is teaching the energy industry that telling the truth is the only way to scale .

Key Topics:

• The CNN Pivot: Why a 40-year-old war correspondent decided she couldn't go back to Baghdad after becoming a mother.
• Issues Management: Going into companies to find "skeletons in the cupboard" before the media does .
• The Engineering Gap: Why technical experts often fail to celebrate the "jeopardy and skill" of their own work .
• The "Family Manager" Rebrand: Why being "just a mom" is a professional scandal we need to fix.
• The Kabul Lesson: A legendary story of trust, vulnerability, and a Marks & Spencer bra in a Taliban-restricted washhouse.

Estimated Timestamps:

• [00:01:30] Trading CNN war assignments for a derelict farmhouse in Scotland .
• [00:04:00] Becoming the "Agony Aunt" of Shell: The world of corporate comms.
• [00:09:00] Why engineers struggle with storytelling and CEOs excel at it .
• [00:15:30] The hard lesson of client management vs. running a news bureau .
• [00:22:30] The "Comms Break": Navigating quiet spells and the return to employment.
• [00:27:00] Retiring ageism and the importance of the "Family Manager".
• [00:33:00] The Power of Vulnerability: An incredible story from Kabul

From a registered general nurse to the owner of three thriving skin clinics in North Kent, Emma Coleman is a testament to the power of the "side hustle" and the importance of clinical expertise in the beauty industry. In this episode, she gets honest about the "busy fool" stage of her early business, the reality of bootstrapping, and why she records her first podcast from a store cupboard.

Dr. Brenda Hector sits down with Emma Coleman, founder of Emma Coleman Skin, to discuss her transition from 20 years in the NHS to scaling a multi-clinic brand. Emma reveals how she managed three jobs and three small children while starting a clinic in her own home to save costs . They dive into the complexities of scaling through acquisition, the emotional connection people have with their skin, and why "done is better than perfect" is the only way to launch. This is an episode for anyone who needs a reminder that the path to success is rarely glamorous but always worthwhile.

The Hook: What do nursing on a hospital ward and running a business have in common? More than you think. Emma Coleman shares how she swapped the NHS for a skin clinic chain.

Key Topics:

• The Clinical Edge: Transitioning from an RGN in the NHS to a specialized dermatology nurse in private practice .
• The "Busy Fool" Stage: Managing three income streams and school runs while building a business foundation .
• Bootstrapping & Acquisition: The challenges of taking over an existing beauty salon and turning it into a medical-grade clinic.
• Team & Culture: Moving from a solo founder to a team of 10 and the "nerve-wracking" reality of recruitment.
• Founder Advice: Why perfection is the enemy of progress and the power of daily manifestation.

Estimated Timestamps:

• [00:01:00] Intro to Emma Coleman Skin: From facials to minor surgery.
• [00:03:00] Leaving the NHS: The 2015 decision to go "all in".
• [00:08:40] Scaling through acquisition: Inheriting staff and changing culture.
• [00:11:40] The Money Talk: Cash flow, bootstrapping, and daily monitoring.
• [00:16:10] The confidence of skin: Treating acne and boosting self-esteem.
• [00:22:20] "Done is better than perfect": Advice for the next generation of founders.
• [00:33:30] Real Talk: Recording from the store cupboard

In this episode of Scale Her Up, Dr. Brenda Hector talks with Sonia Schulenberg, CEO and founder of Level E Research. Sonia shares her journey from Mexico City to the University of Edinburgh, where she pioneered the use of autonomous AI agents in asset management. She breaks down why traditional AI fails in the "non-stationary" world of finance and how she built a digital twin of the global market to outperform multibillion-dollar funds . Beyond the tech, Sonia reveals the staggering level of commitment required to scale, including a legendary story of closing an investment round and paying salaries while in active labor .

The Hook: She was told her vision for AI in finance was a "trip to the moon." Sonia Schulenberg didn't just build the rocket; she’s now navigating the entire asset management industry toward a new frontier.

Key Topics:

• The Problem with Traditional AI: Why financial markets act like a "shifting giraffe" and require a unique continuous learning approach .
• The Operative System for Finance: How Level E Research provides a B2B SaaS platform that automates everything from decision-making to compliance.
• The Cost Crisis: Why active fund managers are underperforming and how AI can save the "eroding value" of our pensions.
• Explainable AI: Why AI is "nothing" if it cannot explain its own behaviours to regulators and stakeholders.
• Unstoppable Resilience: The reality of 100-hour work weeks and the drive to deliver "smarter, faster, and cheaper" solutions.

Estimated Timestamps:

• [00:01:00] Early career at Citi and the proposal that started it all.
• [00:06:00] Moving to Edinburgh: Choosing machine learning over an MBA.
• [00:10:00] Developing the first fully autonomous fund in the world.
• [00:17:00] Winning the Aberdeen Asset Managers & FinTech Scotland competition.
• [00:27:00] Overcoming the "fear" that AI will replace humans.
• [00:37:00] The Tuesday Deadline: Why Sonia fired 12 lawyers to get results.
• [00:39:00] The Birth Story: Fundraising, labor, and a Friday deadline for salaries.

In this milestone episode, Dr. Brenda Hector talks with Julie Moulsdale, who celebrates 20 years at the helm of her award-winning consultancy, Perceptive Communicators. Julie shares the "madness" of starting a niche business while one month pregnant at the start of a global credit crunch—and how she turned that risk into a 20-year success story with a world-class Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 93 . This conversation is essential listening for leaders who want to move from being "doers" to "conductors" and for those who believe that visibility in business is not just vanity—it's leadership.

Everyone told her that narrowing her focus was madness. 20 years later, Julie Moulsdale has a world-class reputation and a message for every woman in business: visibility is leadership.

Key Topics:

• The Power of Niche: Why Perceptive Communicators only works in four sectors: Built Environment, Science, Leisure, and Tech.
• The "A Player" Manifesto: How Julie moved beyond standard values to create a clear guide on "how we do things around here"
• The Conductor Analogy: Learning the hard way that a leader’s job is to ensure the orchestra plays perfectly, not to make the sound themselves.
• Walking the Talk: Why business leaders (especially women) must get comfortable with awards and visibility to demonstrate their impact.
• Moving the Needle: Julie’s mission with "Female Leaders in Construction" and "Senior Women in Science".

🎙️ In this episode of Scale Her Up, Dr Brenda Hector talks with Leah Athanassopoulos, the owner and managing director of Alpha Hospital Group. Leah shares her incredible journey of scaling a part-time plastic surgery clinic into a fully regulated private hospital, filling a critical gap in women’s health and fertility services in the North of Scotland.

Leah discusses how her background in counseling and psychotherapy has been her "secret weapon" for leadership, staff management, and building a patient-centered culture. We also dive into the reality of the "juggle"—balancing a business, a lecturing career, and a growing family (including a third child on the way!)—and why "starting small" is the safest way to take a big leap.

The Hook: From a counseling room to the operating theater—Leah Athanassopoulos is redefining private healthcare in Scotland.

Key Topics:

• Filling the Gap: Why Leah expanded Alpha Hospital Group into fertility and women's health to save patients from traveling to Glasgow.
• Clinic vs. Hospital: Understanding the massive regulatory shift and the technical challenges of building a hospital in a granite building.
• The Therapist’s Edge: How psychology training helps in navigating conflict resolution and understanding patient needs.
• Ruthless HR: Leah’s hard-won advice on why you shouldn't make staff decisions emotionally.
• Home Rules: The simple strategy Leah uses to ensure her children feel more important than her smartphone.

Estimated Timestamps:

• [00:01:00] The evolution from plastic surgery to a multi-service hospital.
• [00:04:30] The regulatory hurdles of moving to general anesthesia cases.
• [00:09:00] How a background in psychotherapy makes for a better MD.
• [00:15:30] Avoiding "emotional" business decisions regarding staff.
• [00:22:00] Navigating a business partnership with a spouse.
• [00:28:30] Advice for women: "Start small, but do it".
• [00:33:00] Future goals: Bringing fertility services to Inverness.

How do you transition from a decade in a research lab to leading a high-stakes biotech company? In this episode, Dr Brenda Hector talks with Soumya Palliyil, the CEO and co-founder of Brigid Bio, a brand-new spinout from the University of Aberdeen.

Soumya shares the journey of developing novel treatments for life-threatening invasive fungal infections—a field where mortality rates can reach a staggering 80%. We dive into the "long-haul flight" of drug development, the necessity of impact investors, and why your most valuable asset is the network you build over 20 years.

• The Mission of Brigid Bio: Developing monoclonal antibody therapies to treat deep-seated fungal infections in immunocompromised patients.
• The "3 Ps" of Scaling: Soumya’s formula for business success: Passion, Perseverance, and People .
• Authentic Leadership: Why Soumya rejected the stereotypical "CEO mold" to lead with her own approachable and genuine personality .
• The Funding Journey: Navigating the complex world of non-dilutive funding, grants, and specialist investors .
• Global Impact: Why Brigid Bio is focused on addressing health disparities in the global south.

Soumya Palliyil is the CEO of Brigid Bio and the head of the Scottish Biologics Facility at the University of Aberdeen. With over 20 years of experience in biotechnology, she has transitioned from a Commonwealth Scholar to a leading founder in the Scottish biotech ecosystem .

In this episode of Scale Her Up, I’m joined by Deborah O’Neill, CEO and founder of Novabiotics.

Deborah shares the story behind building a biotech company in Aberdeen, developing innovative healthcare products for both pharmaceutical and consumer health markets. From respiratory disease treatments to nail care products, everything Novabiotics creates is rooted in the same scientific foundation: understanding how the immune system protects and repairs the body.

We talk about the reality of founding and growing a biotech business, the marathon of product development, how innovation is funded, and why tenacity matters so much in a sector where success can take years.

This is a fascinating and inspiring conversation about science, business, resilience, leadership and the impact that women can have when they back themselves and build something meaningful.

• What Novabiotics does and the problems it is solving
• Deborah’s journey from immunology research to biotech founder
• The difference between academic and commercial science
• Why biotech is a marathon, not a sprint
• How biotech companies are funded before products reach market
• The importance of building the right team around you
• Supporting early-stage life science businesses in the North East
• Why Aberdeen is becoming an exciting place for biotech innovation
• What Deborah has learned about herself as a founder
• Why founders need tenacity, flexibility and sticking power
• Advice for women considering life sciences or starting a business

• Deborah’s reflections on spinning the business out rather than keeping it as a side project
• Her honesty about the long and uncertain road to market in biotech
• Why there is no such thing as a wrong answer in an experiment
• Her point that success is often not exactly the destination you first imagined
• “If there’s a little voice telling you to do it, listen to it.”
• “Throw the map away.”