Insights



Real-World Advice for Visionary Leaders

Explore thought-provoking articles, honest conversations with female founders in the Enter The Arena podcast, and practical resources like my fundraising book RAISE, all designed to support you through the challenges of scaling your business and stepping confidently into your role as a leader.
by Julia Elliott Brown 4 May 2025
Why founder-and-investor-only boards can hold your business back, especially for female founders. Discover how the right board structure, with an independent chair or NED, supports scale, strategy, and sustainable growth.
by Julia Elliott Brown 30 April 2025
Discover what high-growth businesses really need from their boards — and how the right Chair, strategy and support can unlock powerful growth.
Female founder on the phone
by Julia Elliott Brown 26 March 2023
In this article, we cover how you'll know if an investor is right for you and the questions female founders should ask investors when raising business investment.
Show More Articles

Honest conversations with women raising, leading, and growing bold businesses.

The Enter The Arena podcast features real stories from female founders navigating the fundraising journey, the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Expect candid insights, practical tips, and the kind of advice you won’t find in pitch decks.

If you enjoy the show, please rate and review it,  so more founders and investors can discover these powerful stories.
Nicola Piercy, Stripe and Stare
11 January 2024
£3.6m raised. Stripe and stare make stylish, comfortable knickers, loungewear & sleepwear made with TENCEL™ Micro Modal.
Vicky Whiter & Claire Gill
30 November 2023
£450K raised.Peter’s Cleaners is a laundry services that enables customers to drop off and collect their items whenever they want in locations convenient for them.
Lisa Eaton, Fabric Academy
2 November 2023
From marketing agency owner to SaaS tech entrepreneur, Lisa Eaton didn’t have the intention to raise investment when she started up Fabric Academy, an online training provider for marketers. However, it was when she realised the business potential and her ambition to dominate the space globally that she started looking at the equity investment route. Being new to the world of investment, Lisa mapped out local experts in the North East of England that could fill certain knowledge gaps. It was after discovering who could add value to the business that she “accidentally” found her Angel investors and went on to successfully close her round of funding. Listen to Lisa’s investment journey to find out what she learned along the way and her tips that might help you with your own fundraising endeavours. In this episode, you’ll discover: The value of having advisors from the start Why you should think of raising investment as a sales process How to select the right route to investment
Show More Episodes

RAI$E: The female founder's guide to securing investment

This practical, empowering guide gives female founders everything they need to raise investment on their terms. Based on Julia Elliott Brown’s proven five-step approach, it walks you through how to build the right mindset, prepare a compelling pitch, speak the language of investors, navigate bias, and negotiate a deal that truly works for you and your business.



Packed with real-world insights and case studies from women who’ve successfully raised and scaled, RAISE is your step-by-step roadmap to funding — clear, honest, and designed to help you lead with confidence from day one.

Order your copy