Episode Summary
Suzie Millar has made some significant changes in her working life, from studying law to becoming a chiropractor, founding the Scottish Bee Company and now building the Natural Larder Collective.
But what interested me in this conversation was what sits underneath all that movement.
Suzie talks about the strong gut feeling she gets when something is right, the doubt that often follows after she has made a decision, and the strange combination of being willing to take big risks while not particularly enjoying the uncertainty they create.
We also talk about ambition, failure, family, learning to lean on other people and her growing sense that constantly pushing forward may not always be the answer.
What emerges is a conversation about getting better at recognising your own signals and trusting them, without pretending that removes the doubt.
Suzie’s simple suggestion if you are unsure what comes next: get outside, make some space, imagine yourself in the different possibilities and notice which one feels right.
Today’s episode is brought to you by: Pumpkin Chai, a flavoured black tea blended with real pumpkin pieces & pumpkin seeds giving the tea a silky smooth finish. Combined with a liberal sprinkling of spices including cinnamon, ginger and cloves this tea evokes sensations of crisp autumnal days, golden leaves crunching under feet & curling up next to an open fire.
In this pause for tea, you’ll discover:
03:02 Suzie on being driven from an early age, and why that drive has always been more about competing with herself than with other people.
08:50 The “fire in my gut” feeling she gets when something feels right, and why other people’s doubts can sometimes strengthen her resolve.
11:34 Why Suzie can take considerable risks in business while still experiencing the anxiety that comes with them.
17:53 Moving away from the belief that she has to do everything herself, and learning to use the people around her for perspective and support.
20:23 Her fear of failure, and why she now encourages her team to talk openly about the things that did not work.
22:35 The thinking behind the Natural Larder Collective and her ambition to give good independent food and drink brands another route to growth.
31:46 Why a strong board has become one of the most useful parts of building the business, without taking away her independence.
41:03 The habit of moving immediately onto the next thing, and how old to-do lists have helped her notice how much has already happened.
43:19 Building a business alongside family life, and the point at which moving the office out of the family home became an important boundary.
50:24 How Suzie now finds clarity: write things down, then ask herself whether what she is considering feels like a yes or a no.
“I am scared of it failing, but if it does, I know I will be able to handle that,” Suzie Millar
Resources and Links
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Thanks for pausing for tea with me today.
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Erica x
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