You know that feeling when something's off in your business but you can't quite name it? Everything looks fine from the outside: good revenue, established clients, and a professional reputation. But on the inside, you're exhausted, resentful, and trapped in something you built yourself.

In this episode, I walk through seven signs that you might be in a cage business. From saying yes to work you don't actually want, to hiding your boundaries and then breaking them, to performing a version of yourself you don't recognise, these patterns are how cages get built, bar by bar, yes by yes.

I'm sharing my own stories from when I was deep in my cage business at 38, not because they're special, but because if you're feeling this way, you're not alone.

You can't change what you can't see. This episode is about awareness, recognition, and finally naming what's actually happening.

You're not broken. You're just in a cage....and cages have doors.

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I'm going to tell you something that might sound irresponsible: when your business feels heavy, the solution isn't more strategy or discipline, it's fun. I challenge the idea that you need to push harder as we head into December, and instead make the case for letting yourself actually enjoy what you're building again.

I share my own experience of optimising all the joy out of my business while trying to be strategic and professional, and how I'm reclaiming it through an unconventional December project: a 25-day Instagram advent calendar that prioritises enjoyment over optimal marketing strategy. I take you through the realisation that I'd been so focused on being strategic that I'd made my business heavy, and how giving myself permission to have fun again transformed everything.

You'll hear:

• Why fun isn't frivolous but actually strategic. It's how you bring yourself back into your business
• The pattern established founders fall into: starting creative and excited, then learning "the rules" and squeezing out all the personality
• How giving myself permission to be less professional and more myself led to the Quietly Disruptive movement
• Why you're stuck because you stopped having fun, not in spite of it
• A challenge to break one rule and do something just because it sounds fun

This episode is a reminder that when you're having fun, you show up as yourself rather than as a professional performance, and that authenticity is what makes you magnetic to the right clients. Sometimes the best way forward isn't more strategy. It's more you.

Join in the advent calendar over on Instagram: @beckybenfieldhumberstone

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In this episode of The Quietly Disruptive Business Podcast, I share a very personal story about losing my spark, not to burnout or comparison, but to AI.

I’d been using tools like ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas and solve business challenges, thinking they would make me faster, smarter, and more productive. Instead, I found myself stuck in a web of options, overthinking, and doubting my own instincts.

I take you through the moment I realised that outsourcing my thinking had disconnected me from the very spark that makes my business mine. I share how I went back to basics, trusted my instincts again, and found clarity in the quiet, human ways of thinking and creating that no AI can replicate.

You’ll hear:

• Why tools and shortcuts can sometimes keep you stuck rather than moving forward
• How comparison culture can amplify self-doubt and lead you to overcomplicate
• The importance of trusting your instincts, and why your original ideas were likely the right ones all along
• How to regain your spark when you feel overwhelmed by options, advice, or “faster” solutions

This episode is a reminder that while AI can be a powerful tool, the real insight, creativity, and direction comes from you. Sometimes the best way forward is to slow down, reconnect with your own thinking, and trust yourself again.

Want even more wisdom, inspiration and only good things?

• Follow Becky on Instagram or LinkedIn
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I’m diving into a topic that quietly shapes how so many of us run our businesses: comparison.

It starts innocently enough- a quick scroll, a peek at someone else’s success story, and before you know it, you’re wondering whether you’re doing enough, growing fast enough, or even are enough.

I’ve been there.

In this episode, I share my own story of how comparison once took hold of my business (and my confidence), and how I found my way back to myself, by redefining what success really looks like.

You’ll hear about:

• The moment I realised I was chasing someone else’s blueprint instead of building my own
• How comparison can quietly warp your sense of progress and direction
• Why being Quietly Disruptive means walking your own path. Not someone else’s
• How to spot when comparison is creeping in and turn it into a compass for self-awareness
• The small, grounded ways you can start reconnecting with what truly feels like you

This isn’t an episode about ignoring ambition. It’s about choosing authenticity over illusion, as when you stop measuring your work against someone else’s highlight reel, you make space for something far more powerful: your own definition of success.

Tune into this episode to discover how much lighter and more fulfilling business feels when you stop chasing and start trusting yourself.

Want even more wisdom, inspiration and only good things?

• Follow Becky on Instagram or LinkedIn
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• Drop Becky a line and say hello.

In this episode, I explore a truth that comes up time and time again in my conversations with founders: the search for the “magic formula” to success. We’re told to follow the steps, buy the blueprint, and copy what works for others. But what if that’s not the way to build something that truly fits you?

I share my own story of realising that no amount of generic advice could give me the business I actually wanted. The turning point came when I started experimenting through small, quiet, deliberate experiments that helped me discover my rhythm, my instincts, and what actually worked for me.

We’ll talk about:

• Why chasing one-size-fits-all advice keeps you stuck
• How experimenting helps you uncover your unique blueprint
• The power of noticing what feels aligned vs. what feels off
• Why mentors and coaches should guide, not prescribe
• And how small, steady tweaks can help you build a business that feels deeply yours

The key takeaway? This episode is an invitation to pause, reflect, and start experimenting so that you can find the advice that fits you like a second skin.

If you’ve ever felt torn between doing what the experts say and following your instincts, this one’s for you.

Want even more wisdom, inspiration and only good things?

• Follow Becky on Instagram or LinkedIn
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• Drop Becky a line and say hello.

In this special guest episode of the Quietly Disruptive Business Podcast, I sit down with creative entrepreneur Steve Campbell, a photographer, author, and coach whose work lives at the intersection of art, storytelling, and innovation.

From a challenging start in education to capturing the Scottish Highlands through his lens, Steve’s journey is one of resilience, curiosity, and reinvention. He shares how following his passions, embracing failure, and finding joy in experimentation helped him carve a creative path entirely his own.

We talk about why self-awareness matters more than strategy, how meaningful goals shape direction, and why fun and fulfilment should never be an afterthought in business.

You’ll hear:

• How embracing failure and curiosity fuels creativity
• Why self-awareness is key to building meaningful success
• The power of setting goals that truly align with your values
• How fun and experimentation can reignite your spark
• Why helping others often becomes the most fulfilling part of the journey

If you’ve ever felt torn between your creative spark and the pressure to “do business the right way,” this conversation will help you reconnect with the reason you started, and give you permission to design your own version of success.

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Connect with Steve:

Website: https://www.somewheresky.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/somewheresky
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somewhereskyphotography/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevencampbellentrepreneur/

More About Steve:

Steve is creative entrepreneur who believes ideas are meant to be built, shared, and experienced. From capturing landscapes in the Scottish Highlands to writing books, developing apps, and coaching creatives, his work lives at the intersection of art, storytelling, and innovation. Steve says: “I don’t just chase inspiration. I create the spark, and help others do the same.”

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Words hold power, and lately, I’ve been thinking about one in particular: quiet. For decades, I believed that to succeed, you had to be loud, visible, and performative. That the louder you were, the more impact you’d make.

But then I started noticing something. Quiet isn’t weakness. It’s strategy, intention, and subtle power. It’s how real disruption happens, without applause, permission, and burning out.

In this episode, I share what being Quietly Disruptive means, why acting deliberately and aligned with your values can create radical impact, and how I’ve applied this approach in my own businesses, including making disruption in a market that didn't think it needed disrupting, all without following the noisy trends.

You’ll hear:

• Why quiet action can be more powerful than shouting for attention
• How subtle, strategic moves can disrupt industries and create ripple effects
• Why your energy, alignment, and values matter more than visibility or hype
• How to thrive without following the loudest voices or trending formulas

The key takeaway? Quiet isn’t invisible, passive, or weak. It’s intentional, strategic, and courageous. The most meaningful impact often happens away from the spotlight,and your business can thrive by doing it your way.

Want even more wisdom, inspiration and only good things?

• Follow Becky on Instagram or LinkedIn
• Read Becky's story and her eclectic background which involves model horses (#notatypo)
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What you see online isn’t the full story, and it’s time to stop letting it define your business.

I used to scroll endlessly, comparing myself to every “success story” I saw on LinkedIn, Instagram, or X (Twitter). The launches, the funnels, the shiny tips, and the 10k-month boasts. I thought I was missing something, that I had to do it their way to succeed.

Then I learned the truth: 80% of social media content is created by just 10% of users. On LinkedIn, 1% of users create almost everything we consume. Instagram? Less than 5% post daily.

Suddenly, everything clicked. Most of what fills our feeds isn’t what everyone is doing. It’s what the loudest few are broadcasting. And when we try to follow it, it drains our energy, misguides our decisions, and makes us question if we’re “enough.”

In this episode, I share how I stepped away from the noise, stopped copying others, and started designing my business my way. I also explore stories from other founders who found success by being quieter, more deliberate, and true to themselves.

You’ll hear:

• Why social media success stories are often illusions
• How the “quiet 90%” of founders are building meaningful businesses differently
• Ways to create a business that works for you, not what the algorithms dictate
• Why being deliberately YOU is a more sustainable path to impact and results

The Key takeaway? Don’t believe everything your feed is telling you. Most of what you see online is a curated version of reality. The real work, growth, and meaningful success are happening quietly, often away from the spotlight. Your business can thrive by focusing on what matters to you, not what the algorithms promote.

Extra Listening & Deeper Dive:

• Mel Robbins Episode: This One Research Study Will Change How You Think About Your Entire Life with Todd Rose
• Steven Barlett Podcast Episode: The Money Making Expert: The Exact Formula For Turning $100 Into $100k Per Month!
• Instagram Stats: https://nealschaffer.com/instagram-statistics

Want even more wisdom, inspiration and only good things?

• Follow Becky on Instagram or LinkedIn
• Read Becky's story and her eclectic background which involves model horses (#notatypo)
• Drop Becky a line and say hello.