Each year I try something in my business I've not done before (you may recall that for 2025, this involved a lot of toilets...) - for 2026, that means it's a bingo card that I'm offering people to play along with!! drive.google.com/file/d/1zTwR...

Excited to be invited to "duck about" in sharing ideas as to how far in-person facilitation practices and techniques can be stretched to be done on-line, with the Facilitator's Cafe later this month - www.tickettailor.com/events/thefa...

"Villains are always the ones who are absolutely sure they’re right - Daleks don’t doubt; Cybermen don’t doubt; Time Lords stopped doubting (and look how that went)." Dr Who makes a cameo in my book about imposter syndrome, so it's only fair they get to review it? substack.com/@adrianashto...

“Doubt isn’t a weakness. It’s a moral compass.” - what might Dr Who might make of my book exploring imposter syndrome, if they added it to the TARDS library? substack.com/home/post/p-...

As you're reading this — literally right now — FTSE 100 CEOs have just been paid as much as an entire year's wage for the median full time worker. After just a couple of days back. I haven't even cleared my inbox yet.

Some say that with a family bloodline that tracks back to Rochdale, it was inevitable I'd end up supporting coops - but my university years and early working life almost meant I didn't... Looking forward to sharing some stories with @ukcoopstudies.bsky.social soon: www.ukscs.coop/events/co-op...

Instead of templates, worksheets, or challenges to start your 2026, how about reflections and insights from someone who accidentally started a business which has now outlasted 90% of all others, won lots of awards, and has changed laws and influenced national polices? amzn.eu/d/dqgfRfn

When was the last time you spotted someone wearing a monocle on a zoom call? (for the full story - www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...)

In-between mince pies and leftover Brussel sprouts, I've been dipping into the just released latest research into the state of social enterprise in the UK. (and bracing myself to be on the naughty list for next Christmas as a result...) substack.com/home/post/p-...

An alternative way to reflect on the year that was - asking an AI bot to tell me what it thought of me, based on my 2025 LinkedIn activity... (with thanks to CoAuthor) full post at: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

Proud to have been able to share some of my stories and insights into the self-employed who are also unpaid carers for multiple family members, to inform the wider work of the national Working Families charity. If this also sounds of interest to you: workingfamilies.org.uk/about-us/par...

Not sure if it's a sign that I'm on the naughty or nice list, when I get a Christmas card from my local MP...?

Somehow my end of year reflection has ended up with me reminiscing a lot about toilets... open.substack.com/pub/adrianas...

As someone who's had the opportunity to support lots of business across West Yorks through being part of the AD:VENTURE programme, it was great to recently reflect and celebrate on this years installment of it - www.ad-venture.org.uk/advice-blog/...

Over the last 10 years, I've been interviewed on 18 different podcast shows (although 2 of them have subsequently never been able to be released, and another 2 are still going through 'editing'...) Maybe I'm not a typical podcast guest..? www.adrianashton.co.uk/media-covera...

When I wrote 'loving your doubt', I never imagined it would be appearing at writing retreats (such as those led by forcreativepeople.com)! Loving these video clips Helen's shared with me of the other titles mine's appearing alongside, as inspiration for future great books!

Very excited to find that I seem to have become a 'poster boy' for @teamipse.bsky.social and Sage's work on helping the more than 4 millions sole traders like me better cope with the oncoming #MakingTaxDigital... www.ipse.co.uk/downloads/ma...

I usually find myself on the 'naughty list' at this time of year, but as an accredited #GoodBusinessCharter business, it feels nice to be in Santa's good books 😉 goodbusinesscharter.com/christmas-ca... (and speaking of books... www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Adria... )

The letter 'B' seems to be a recurring theme in #TrainStationTinsel being spotted so far this month..?

Bringing a bit of my own festive cheer to the training room at @boltoncvs.bsky.social for the session I was delivering there today...

Seems that trying to be 'good' in your business isn't always as straightforward as it may seem... adrianashton.substack.com/p/what-makes...

It's that time of year when I show off my feet to the Internet - happy #PurpleSockDay (aka International Day of Persons with a Disability).

More #TrainStationTinsel for the holiday season (if streets and town centres can be decorated for December, why not train station platforms?)

It's December- which means #TrainStationTinsel has started to appear again...

I don't often get to come out to play at business networking events (like being at the end of year connect and celebrate event with AD:VENTURE in Bradford today) but when i do I always try and make the most of the opportunity...

It's officially December. That means I get to practice my annual tradition of dressing myself up as a Christmas tree for any/all video call this month! (carol singing will cost you extra...)

“Loving Your Doubt is a rare work: it teaches the reader to treat uncertainty not as obstacle, but as a tool of insight. A clear mind armed with disciplined doubt is capable of remarkable precision. Adrian's book provides exactly such an armament.” - Sherlock Holmes open.substack.com/pub/adrianas...

I thought I knew what imposter syndrome was. But then I started to properly research it, and I changed my mind - and thanks to the encouragement of others, I shared this journey as a pocket book (and it became a global best-seller!). amzn.eu/d/bfk33zB

Is it ironic that a book about embracing and celebrating imposter syndrome has become an award-winning bestseller?! But it shows that having a counterintuitive idea (‘imposter syndrome can be a force for good’) – and then discussing it with as many people as possible, can yield surprisingly results

It's #CarersRightsDay - but over half a million of us unpaid carers have none. We're more likely to be poverty, and costing the economy over £10bn each year, because we also happen to be self-employed/freelance and so are missing in carer legislation and policy. www.libdemvoice.org/how-a-simple...

Happy #WorldToiletDay! An amazing 3.5 billion people don’t have access to one, today is a UN initiative designed to stimulate talks around Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims to alleviate the situation. (and it's also an excuse to link to a porcelain anniversary in my business...)

What better way to celebrate #WorldToiletDay (and it being the 20th/porcelain anniversary of my business this year) than by flushing my office toilet with me?

A client I'm working with asked me today in all seriousness "what's a postal order?". Who else suddenly feels like they didn't fully exit the last century?

"A unique voice that stands out from the many generic business memoirs." - is one of the reasons AI thinks 'Flushed!', my 20 year retrospective on a multi-award business I never meant to create, became an Amazon bestseller when I asked it. But what do you think? amzn.eu/d/580lxmc

You may well have experienced imposter syndrome. But its normal and healthy; you can harness it in a positive way, rather than squash it or get rid of it. Here’s the story of how I came to write my book, “Loving Your Doubt”, that offers a different perspective on the usual narrative about this.

a five-finger guide to how I think I managed to reach the 20th anniversary of my business - some of which are likely to be the opposite of what works for you. If your business has made it to 20 years – or the last turbulent 10, or fairly feisty 5 – I’d love to know what factors you think helped.

There's a bonus secret offer I hid inside the pages of my book 'Flushed!' - but if you want to redeem it this year, you need to let me know by the end of November (otherwise, you'll have to wait until the end of next year...) If that's sufficiently piqued your curiosity - amzn.eu/d/6CWzZJq

Inside Burnley Empire today (under the pretext of immersing myself in Aitor Throup's first global retrospective of their work, as part of #britishtextilebiennial - perfect venue for the collection and exhibition!)

This week, I'm being put in the Freelance Business hotseat as the star turn in their monthly cafe - no idea what questions people may be putting to me based on my reaching a porcelain anniversary this year, but hopefully I'll have enough props to hand! www.freelancebusiness.community/c/freelance-...

How many co-operative social enterprises do you know who have made it to 50? Great to see MARC the printers celebrating this milestone with cake! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/marc-turns...

Who knew that I could fit so many props into a single podcast episode (anyone know what the official world record is?) - but I'm even more tickled that @ninalenton.bsky.social now has a picture of one of my mankini's on her website!! www.ninalenton.co.uk/creative-con...

It's been suggested to me, by some people who are reading my book 'Flushed!', that my choice of putting my office toilet on its cover is well matched to its format and structure which is apparently well suited for easy reading whilst sat on a porcelain throne..! amzn.eu/d/ce7LTnU

Why did I price my book about imposter syndrome so low? - because the time it would take to read is about the same as if you'd bought me a coffee/beer to chat through it's ideas, so it seemed equitable to mirror the cost I ask of you to benefit from it. amzn.eu/d/dahiMhX

Values don't mean anything unless they translate into action - how would you explain to someone what your business' values mean in how they interact with you day-to-day? #WorldValuesDay @valuesday.bsky.social [1/3]

When Enterprise Nation asked me to share some insights on how to keep your business going in the face of massive unexpected shock events, I'm pretty sure they didn't anticipate it would include me referencing time machines, toilets, and turds...? www.enterprisenation.com/learn-someth...

If we’re serious about supporting entrepreneurs of all types and flavours, then surely we should be setting the aspirations we have for ourselves to be more cosmic? www.isbe.org.uk/entrepreneur...

Why aren't we talking more about what's most important for the people starting up, and leading, social enterprises? thirdsectorexpert.blogspot.com/2025/10/why-...

Earlier this year, I started to be more open about unexpected plot twists the universe has thrown at my business over the it's first 20 years. I'm now sharing the lessons of how they made my enterprise stronger at an upcoming (free) webinar later this month - www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lunch-and-...