The BIG Festoon

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The BIG Festoon The UK's #1 life & business development event for growth-hungry entrepreneurs, speakers and leaders!
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The UK's #1 life & business development event for growth-hungry entrepreneurs, speakers and leaders! Actively and enthusiastically inclusive because we ALL do well when we ALL do well!

04/10/2026

Have you listened to the latest episode of The Festoon 500 podcast yet? 🎙️🐝

This week’s episode features Ricci Colla, founder of Those Collaborations, talking about why it really does take a village to raise a business.

Ricci shares why the move from employee to business owner can feel so lonely, why founders often give up just before the pivotal point, and why there’s never going to be one single way of doing business that works for everyone.

They also talk about finding the right communities, why one network might not be enough anymore, and what Ricci and his brother Paul are building next through Those Collaborations.

Watch the interview on on YouTube, or to listen, search ‘The Festoon 500 Interviews’ on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Want to become the next member of The Festoon 500 business network?

Drop a 🐝 in the comments.

29/09/2026

Why do so many business owners give up just before the pivotal point? 🎙️🐝

This week on the podcast we have Ricci Colla, founder of Those Collaborations.

Going from employee to business owner can get lonely very quickly. One day you’ve got colleagues and a clear role, the next you’re wearing eight or nine different hats, spending half your time doing things you never actually set out to do.

Ricci believes it takes a village to raise a business.

In this episode, we get into:
👥 Why business ownership can feel so lonely in the early years
🎩 What happens when you suddenly find yourself wearing eight or nine different hats
💬 Why advice that says “this is the only way” rarely works for unique humans
🔎 How to find the people who support the people leading businesses
🤝 Why being part of one network might no longer be enough

Ricci also shares how his coaching business began when a friend stepping into a CEO role asked for his help, why success leaves clues, and why founders can sometimes walk away just before things were about to change.

We also hear about what Ricci and his brother Paul are building through Those Collaborations, from action-focused local meetups and Thinking Spaces to Lunch Break Live and Collaborative, their business and wellbeing event by the sea.

This is a conversation about business ownership, community and having the right people around you while you build.

If you’re in the early years of business and it sometimes feels like you’re doing the whole thing on your own, you need to hear this one.

Stick your headphones in, press play and come and meet Ricci.

Watch the full episode now on The Big Festoon YouTube channel , or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Just search ‘The Festoon 500 Interviews’.

Subscribe, leave a comment and share it with a business owner who needs to hear this conversation, so we can keep giving our founding members the platform they deserve.

PS: Fancy joining the Festoon 500 global business network? Drop a 🐝 below and we’ll send you the details.

Who is coming to CHS on Wednesday?I’ll be at the AO Arena for CHS Manchester, speaking on the Revolution Stage about Bra...
28/09/2026

Who is coming to CHS on Wednesday?

I’ll be at the AO Arena for CHS Manchester, speaking on the Revolution Stage about Brand Me.

I’m talking about how you position yourself, how you become known for something and how you build a brand people actually remember.

CHS is bringing together event buyers, planners, PAs, EAs, venues, suppliers and some brilliant people from across the events and hospitality industry, so I’m really looking forward to being in the room.

If you’re going, tell me below so I know who to look out for.

Wednesday 30 September
AO Arena, Manchester

27/09/2026

Have you listened to the latest episode of The Festoon 500 podcast yet? 🎙️🐝

This week’s episode features Heather Tingle, founder of Untangled by Tingle, talking about ADHD, autism, executive function and why keeping on top of your home can feel so much harder when your brain works differently.

Heather also shares why traditional decluttering advice doesn’t always work, why shame can become such a big part of the problem, and how creating a home that works for your brain can make a huge difference.

Watch the interview on on YouTube, or to listen, search ‘The Festoon 500 Interviews’ on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Want to become the next member of The Festoon 500 business network?

Drop a 🐝 in the comments.

22/09/2026

Why can your home look completely fine to everyone else… while feeling impossible to live in? 🎙️🐝

This week on the podcast we have Heather Tingle, founder of Untangled by Tingle.

Heather is a professional declutterer and organiser who works mainly with neurodivergent clients, helping people create homes that work with their brains rather than constantly fighting against them.

In this episode, we get into:
🧠 How ADHD, autism and executive function can affect the way we manage our homes
👀 The hidden shame behind doom piles, floordrobes and clutter
📝 Why advice like “just make a list” or “use a diary” often doesn’t work for neurodivergent brains
🏠 Why decluttering isn’t always about getting rid of things
💬 Why people who look completely capable from the outside can still be struggling behind closed doors

Heather also talks about why sometimes a client doesn’t need to remove a single thing, and how changing the way a space works can make a much bigger difference than simply clearing it out.

Heather also shares the story behind DeclutterCon, the UK’s first decluttering conference designed for neurodivergent people, and how Heather’s experience at The Big Festoon helped inspire her to create a space where people could feel properly welcome.

This is a conversation about clutter, neurodivergence, shame and creating a home that actually works for the person living in it.

If keeping on top of your home has ever made you feel like you’re failing, or you’ve wondered why the usual organisation advice never seems to work for you, you need to hear this one.

Stick your headphones in, press play and come and meet Heather.

Watch the full episode now on The Big Festoon YouTube channel , or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Just search ‘The Festoon 500 Interviews’.

Subscribe, leave a comment and share it with someone who needs to hear this conversation, so we can keep giving our founding members the platform they deserve.

PS: Fancy joining the Festoon 500 global business network? Drop a 🐝 below and we’ll send you the details.

20/09/2026

Have you listened to the latest episode of The Festoon 500 podcast yet? 🎙️

This week’s episode features Emmaline McAndrew, The Slow Business Woman, talking about why success doesn’t have to mean moving faster, and how to build a business when your energy or capacity isn’t always predictable.

Emmaline shares why work-life balance might need to become work-health balance, the importance of boundaries, and the challenge to take a health day before you need a sick day.

Watch the interview on on YouTube, or to listen, search ‘The Festoon 500 Interviews’ on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Want to become the next member of The Festoon 500 business network?

Drop a 🐝 in the comments.

So, what actually IS The Festoon 500?This question got asked A LOT at Ideas Fest, so for those of you who aren’t members...
16/09/2026

So, what actually IS The Festoon 500?

This question got asked A LOT at Ideas Fest, so for those of you who aren’t members yet, this is exactly what it is...

It’s a global network of 500 business owners and leaders, built around connections, introductions, referrals and opening doors for each other.

Just to be clear, The Festoon 500 is NOT another networking group.

This is about purposeful introductions, commercial opportunities, collaborations and getting access to people and rooms that can help you grow your business.

When you join, you get direct access to 499 other business owners and leaders, plus:

🎟️ Tickets to The BIG Festoon at the AO Arena in Manchester in 2027, including 1 GOLD ticket for you and 3 general seating tickets to gift.

🎙️ An interview with Dani Wallace on The Festoon 500 Podcast, promoted across YouTube, all major podcast platforms, social media and email

📣 Your own profile in The Festoon 500 Directory, making it easier for people to find you, understand what you do and connect with you

🤝 In-person meet-ups and referral parties to build relationships, make introductions, share opportunities and open doors for each other

🐝 The Festoon 500 WhatsApp group for direct access to the network, conversations, introductions and opportunities

📚 Lifetime access to The Resource Room, with courses, frameworks, training and tools from business experts

📢 The opportunity to add your own resource to The Resource Room too, giving your business more visibility

💛 2 sponsored seats funded in your name, helping more people access the rooms, conversations and opportunities that can make a difference

There are only 500 founding member spots available. Once those 500 places are taken, founding membership closes.

The investment is £1,000 one-off for lifetime membership. That’s it.

Want to be one of the 500? Comment 500 below and we’ll send you the details.

15/09/2026

What if success doesn’t love speed? 🎙️🐝

This week on the podcast we have Emmaline McAndrew, The Slow Business Woman.

Emmaline helps women with limited or fluctuating energy, including those living with chronic illness, disability or neurodivergence, build businesses that work with their capacity rather than constantly fighting against it.

In this episode, we get into:
🐢 Why success doesn’t have to mean doing everything faster
🧠 The “Great Unlearning” of everything women are taught about being organised, capable and doing it all
⚖️ Why work-life balance might need to become work-health balance
🚧 Why strong professional boundaries work, even when people don’t like them at first
💬 Why sharing the messy, unglossy parts of running a business can create a much safer community

Emmaline also challenges us to rethink the idea of waiting until we’re ill enough to stop, and asks a much better question - what if you took a health day instead of a sick day?

This is a conversation about building a business around the life and energy you actually have, rather than trying to force yourself into somebody else’s version of success.

If your energy isn’t always predictable, or you’ve ever felt like business advice assumes everyone has the same capacity, you need to hear this one.

Stick your headphones in, press play and come and meet Emmaline.

Watch the full episode now on The Big Festoon YouTube channel , or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Just search ‘The Festoon 500 Interviews’.

Subscribe, leave a comment and share it with someone who needs to hear this conversation, so we can keep giving our founding members the platform they deserve.

PS: Fancy joining the Festoon 500 global business network? Drop a 🐝 below and we’ll send you the details.

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AO Arena
Manchester
M3 1AR

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