What If The Safest Place To Speak Up Is A Game Table

We meet Charlene and Vicky, the co-founders of Role Resolve Therapy, and hear how tabletop roleplay becomes a practical way to build confidence and communication for children. We also talk honestly about neurodiversity, co-founder dynamics, community support at Derby, and the mindset that keeps founders going when it gets hard.
• discovering tabletop roleplay as a creative therapeutic approach during counselling and psychotherapy training
• turning game mechanics into structured support for social anxiety, confidence, and group communication
• moving from testimonials to impact reporting using teacher and pupil questionnaires
• linking the work to neurodivergent needs, school support, and EHCP-related goals
• balancing entrepreneurship with parenting and using purpose to protect time
• building a strong co-founder relationship through repair, honesty, and clear communication
• learning to pitch through Derby enterprise support and feedback that raises the bar
• using Canopy to connect, refine branding, and scale delivery through a wider team
• launching Inspire as a community app for female founders with free and paid tiers
• advice for first-time founders: follow passion and build a cheerleading network

Raise Angel Investment with Scribe
Systematise and automate your fundraising with Angel investors in the UK

Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE

Seedlegals
The go to platform for startup legals in UK and USA

Business banking with Revolut
Easy business banking including Crypto treasury

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Canopy Community

The place for founders, start ups and entrepreneurs. For more episodes, or to access coaching, events, advice, networks, education and more, visit…

https://linktr.ee/CanopyCommunity

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introductions

Stewart Noakes 0:01

All right, good morning. I can't believe we're already here, but we're in series five, episode four. I'm absolutely blessed to be joined by these two today. So, you two, would you be kind enough to introduce who you are and what you're working on?

Sharlene Rudd 0:15

Okay, um, hi, I'm Charlene. Um and we're co-founders and uh directors of Role Resolve Therapy, um, which is a creative therapeutic um company. I think that probably sums up it as a whole, but there's a lot lots of different components to it.

Stewart Noakes 0:37

Okay, fantastic. And we we met each other through Derby and through the things you were doing up there with Ollie and the game changers

Why Role Resolve Therapy Exists

Stewart Noakes 0:43

and stuff. So, you know, what what is the what is the purpose and the impact of what you're working on? Describe it for people who don't know it. And in particular, how did you start? Like, what was the inspiration for all this stuff?

From Comic Con To Research

Vikki Nolan 0:55

So we were doing our degree in counsel and psychotherapy, um, and we came across tabletop roleplay. And so, if you're an avid Dungeons and Dragons or Warhammer player, then you will probably get the concept because it's a lot quicker than someone who hasn't. And we had a conversation with some guy at Comic Con who was using basically those games to work with ex-veterans and people up in London, and we just we was like, Oh, this sounds really great, and we didn't really think a lot of it for from our work perspective. But then we started talking to people, and we was like, There's so many correlations that you can actually use to create a different type of therapeutic approach, and we just wanted to do some research and found out if we were either just a crazy idea or if it would actually work. So we got a scholarship through the university in our second year, and then we just looked at how that would we could use the mechanics of tabletop role play to alleviate social anxiety, but incorporate in psychotherapy principles, and then we were quite taken back by the results of that research, which we are currently still writing up at the moment and hopefully will be done by the end of the summer, so that'll be released. Um, but then on the back of that, we got the opportunity to be in what's called an actors, which is part of a university programme, and then we also got the opportunity to try other games at an S C and D school, so we sort of then started condensing and like refining what we were doing, and I'm late diagnosis neurodivergent, as is Charlene, and we're raising children who are waiting for well, are waiting assessments for neurodiversity, and that's something with us that we see where children struggle, and we noticed our own struggles from like when we were younger, and we started to refine it and look and how we can use that system for both mental health and for children in education to meet their EHCP targets and work on that social emotional learning and communication skills between different neurodivergents. So that's basically where our passion sort of comes from with it as well.

Measuring Confidence And Real Impact

Stewart Noakes 2:54

I can literally feel the passion come in.

Sharlene Rudd 2:58

And there's the sort of the impact we've seen. So it started off with testimonials. I mean, we see it every time we run sort of a six-week intervention. You sort of the how the kids come in to how they leave. It's like we just literally see that transformation before our eyes. But that's like it's that's our perception. So it's sort of it's proving that efficacy and how and the impact, and we know that the teachers see it. Um, but so to start with, it was very testimonial-based, and we, you know, we got incredible feedback, but we knew that we need to take it a step further and start measuring it from actually getting the the kids' voices in for how they found it. Um, so and that's what we're again refining. So we've started off with questionnaires for teachers and and pupils, and it's something it's a work in progress to refine that to capture the data um as as much as possible to represent them, to represent that sort of full picture from a teaching aspect, um, just to sort of quantify that impact.

Stewart Noakes 3:57

Amazing. I mean, what a mission to be on, right? Go on, do that.

Vikki Nolan 4:02

No, no, I was just gonna say it's like even though we've only I think we've been doing the impact reporting for the last couple of months, and that alone has shown that over 75% of the children who we worked with have said how they've grown in confidence. There were three two other points as well, because it's three for like over 75. They were oh, I should know this off by heart. But and then we had well, the main one for me was 100% of the children who we worked with said they were more confident in speaking out in a group, and the amount of children that may sit there and really struggle to voice their opinion because they're in a group worried about being judged, or that level of shame that might come on if people do judge you, and to think that just by spending time within this group that we've created, that they now feel more confident to voice their opinions, I think is just for me one of the most powerful things that I've seen. Yeah, definitely.

Stewart Noakes 4:57

Amazing.

Parenthood, Time, And Motivation

Stewart Noakes 4:59

I mean, you both are moms, right? So, how many kids have you got between you?

Sharlene Rudd 5:05

I've got two, I've got five.

Stewart Noakes 5:11

You've got seven kids between you. You both went back as mature students to university, you're pulling this stuff together, you're looking after your kids. How on earth do you fit everything in?

Vikki Nolan 5:24

Just do. I think I think because it's something that you're passionate about, you find a way, yeah. And there's always gonna be people, you know. I've done it myself before, and I've gone, I haven't got time to do that. And before going to university, I did do um a few small entrepreneurial roles where I was self-employed. And I think the biggest because I was doing life coaching, and the biggest thing for me is, and this isn't a judgment, but for me personally, my children are my reason. They're not the reason that I can't find time to do something, they're the reason that I do find time to do something. And as long as they're happy and they're still doing what they're doing, I'll make the time around them to make sure that I can still make us without our lives together as well.

Sharlene Rudd 6:06

We were literally having this conversation earlier, actually, and it's sort of we're doing what we do so our kids can have the life that we didn't, and but we're but it sort of ties in, it's sort of doing it, like Vicky said, for them, but also for all the other kids who have struggled, and it's sort of experiencing what we've experienced, sort of as like sort of you know, growing up and all those things, and witnessing how other kids struggle, it's making that difference, it's making a difference for for sort of for all the kids who didn't have the support that our kids didn't have that we didn't have. Um, so it's that sort of double-edged thing, really.

Vikki Nolan 6:43

I think mine comes from both of them because as I said, I have got five children, but mine are in like groups, so like got my elder three. Um, one's got his own baby now and lives with his girlfriend, they're he's 27 this month, um, and then I've got one away at university, and then the other one uh told me the other day that he's thinking of joining the army, so they're quite out there doing their own things and roll in their 20s, and then I've got my other two who are nine and 15. And the things that with kids don't come with a manual, and you do make mistakes, and you do like, you know, if I'd have known what I know now, like that level of support that I could have given my one of my sons who I know is waiting for an ADHD assessment. And I just think if I'd have known what I know now, he might have got that bit of extra support before now. And if I can bring that to the my younger two now and support them on their journeys, then that's enough for me to be able to say, This is what I need to do to make that life better for us in that respect.

Stewart Noakes 7:40

Okay, amazing, amazing.

What Makes Their Co-Founder Bond Work

Stewart Noakes 7:42

Um, I'm gonna ask you a couple of things about Derby and and about Canopy in a minute, but one thing I'm really curious about because you you guys didn't know each other before you went to university, right? You met on that course, from what I remember. So, what do you think makes you great co-founders together? What is the dynamic between you?

Sharlene Rudd 7:58

I don't see we actually met, we literally met on our first day. So we the the induction, so we were both a foundation yeah, and so our first day of foundation wasn't even the first day of foundation, it was the induction days.

Vikki Nolan 8:10

I think about three weeks before uh we actually started university, and I was late because I was um fashionably just came in.

Sharlene Rudd 8:20

I sat down next to you, mate, and that was it. We've been friends since we found the first chair in the room, yeah. And I think we I I think because we're very like-minded, um, we we have we have very similar, we have lots of different views on things, which is great because we debate, but we have very the core values and our and I think our approach to life, our um our view on life.

Vikki Nolan 8:45

I think we're both sort of very positive, optimistic, hardworking, and we have this sort of those values that sort of drive us through, and also um we were able to, I think it's a comfortability as well, though, because we spoke about like a networking event for argument's sake, or you go and there's so many people, and like I struggle with overwhelm, I struggle with that like that imposter syndrome and them things all set in. But I think because we are quite the same and have them insecurities ourselves, like we've worked on them and we're not there now, but we was prior to like what we've been working on, and it's knowing that we had that safe space as well, where we just sort of instantly connected to be like, I've had enough of these guys now, like they're all really nice people, but I need my space, and like to have that space within each other to be like, let's leave because entrepreneurial roles can be really isolating. So I think it's been really nice to have someone who you can just I'm gonna use the word unmasking because I think for females we tend to do that anyway, but you can unmask and be yourself around that person, is like it's quite a rare thing to find in someone.

Stewart Noakes 9:53

And I've watched you too. I mean, you're very safe with each other, but you're also very robust with each other at times, right? You you say it as it is to each other and work it through, it's quite special.

Vikki Nolan 10:05

I think it's to be honest, it's something that's been commented on a lot is that we have a heated debate in a meeting, like literally voice our opinion, disagree on it, come to a reasonable adjustment, work through it, and then walk out and get a coffee, and we're absolutely about to have ourselves.

Stewart Noakes 10:19

And I think it's that's almost about three and a half minutes, right?

Sharlene Rudd 10:22

Yeah, it's that is so, and I think with all relationships, people think it's like sort of you know, like romantic relations, but friendships and especially business, because we are such good friends, as well as business partners, is be able to repair any conflict. It's that's absolutely critical. Um, because it's sort of it's keeping hold of both aspects, um, and both are really, really important. So, so yeah, and I think it's it's one of those things that it's been commented on that we have a very quite a rare relationship, very vocal.

Vikki Nolan 10:55

We know how to communicate, and we I think because communication is a massive part of our business, like we're working with children in order to be able to communicate how they're feeling, communicate with each other, learn about each other's communication styles. So, if we didn't know how to do that between each other, then how would we be able to go and teach that to other people? It's quite uh contradictory, so yeah.

Stewart Noakes 11:18

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. The other thing I've noticed when I go to Derby and I know I'm gonna meet you is that I start smiling as I'm walking towards them. It's absolutely hysterical. I don't know what what's in the water or what happens, but it's gonna like I know it's not gonna be dull when I arrive.

Sharlene Rudd 11:40

Thanks.

Derby Support And Pitching Lessons

Stewart Noakes 11:46

So a little chat for a second about Derby and Ollie, and um, you know, what have you got out of the game changes and the stuff that Ollie's helped you with up there?

Vikki Nolan 11:55

Well, Oliver is literally like he's our greatest cheerleader, and I think I'm so grateful that we walked into Oliver's office after doing our research because that's what we did. We was like, Oh, this research has got the really good results, and then we spoke to the careers department, and Chris said, Oh, you need to speak to Enterprise. And then we literally met Oliver within a week, and then I don't think he's left our side like literally since that day, and that was like in our second year, yeah. And um, he's been so supportive, like any bit of information we've needed, any competition, any anything that he can think of that might help us and support us. And he's always he's always that person to go to. And I mean, he doesn't just do that for us, he does that for a variety of students, and he's just that he's a is a great person in it, and I would say I will advocate for Oliver also.

Sharlene Rudd 12:42

Yeah, he's he's been and the the great thing about Oliver is that he doesn't sugarcoat anything with us either. Yeah, is that his right? If he thinks that we're being um, I don't know. So for argument's sake, we did our first pitch perfect.

Vikki Nolan 12:56

So before the game changes, the year before it was pitch perfect, and it wasn't on the same level as like what what happened when you were there, and it was four, I think it was four judges in a room. So we'd only ever done like pitch power, you know, powerpoints or like pitching when we've been in our previous jobs and stuff like that. So actually pitching a sales pitch like for our own business was just like, oh my god, and then we was like, what do we do? So we put this presentation together and we went and did the pitch, and there was this room they were on side of the room, and Oliver was sat at the table with them, and literally we presented, and um Oliver went in front of all the judges, bearing mind, I'm really disappointed. I know you do so much better than that, like he wants us out, and he was like, I never saying it because I mean it. I was like, okay. Well, well, I think where we can be that like with each other, he's like that with us. Um because but we take on board everything that we say, isn't it? And he just he'll go. I think we did our last pitch for the game changer, and he was like, Yeah, it's perfect. And I was like, Oh my god, put this date in your diary. Yeah, yeah. I think he's that great critique, but also like someone that you can go to for information is amazing.

Stewart Noakes 14:17

And that like, you know, I I I called Ollie a couple of weeks ago and I said thank you to him for the game changer stuff. Because for me in the first half of this year, that was one of the really big smile moments, and and doing that evening. What what what do you remember about the evening? What's your last in sort of memories from that?

Sharlene Rudd 14:33

Apart from winning.

Stewart Noakes 14:35

Well, yeah, you got some big checks, right? You got some big memories.

Vikki Nolan 14:39

Yeah, we did. I think the other can the people though that participated, like the young girl that came and she was sat next to me, and like she just the way that they got up there and presented in that room full of people was like it was so inspiring because it's not easy, like it isn't. I mean, we did it, was it the week before or two weeks before? Um, when they launched the Chancellor's Entrepreneur Club, and um Theo Catus was there, and like some of the the Chancellors and of the university, and the I think there was I don't know if there was actually more on that day than there were the way more, yeah. It was standard room only when we did it with Theo. Daunting, it was so daunting, and um, we thought it would be like, oh well, it can't get any worse than that, but I feel like it was just on par to be honest, because it's the pressure that sits there, and you know you've got to get it right. So to see like them younger ones come in and just be like, Yeah, that's fine, I've got this. I was like, it's amazing.

Sharlene Rudd 15:33

So I think that for me was a standout moment, and then I think it was the vibe, there was a really it was such such like very sort of community vibe uh on the night. It was there was just a lovely sort of we're all in it together. It didn't, although it was a competition, it didn't feel like a competition.

Vikki Nolan 15:51

But we had that with the people's choice because I think there was also Michael who was like neck and neck, and um he says afterwards he was like he was getting all his friends to vote in, wasn't it? I was like you need to stop this. Um, but it was like even though like it's a competition, it was a friendly competition, and like if Michael would have won, we would have absolutely been there and been his biggest cheerleaders, and he was exactly the same for us. So I think that was like because we'd work together on projects anyway all year, it's just really nice to have that atmosphere of you know, it's a competition, yeah, but we've all got each other's back as well, and I think that's one thing that Darby's really good at the students have gone through.

Stewart Noakes 16:32

Amazing,

Canopy Community And Scaling The Team

Stewart Noakes 16:33

amazing. Well, in nice segue there in terms of the canopy stuff. So you did the people's choice uh piece, and then we did the interview and stuff. What's happened for you inside canopy so far? Have you had any value out of being part of the community?

Sharlene Rudd 16:45

We haven't utilised it as much as we should have done. Um and I printed off the the whole plan and what we meet.

Vikki Nolan 16:53

We have met with we have met with Pedro, we've met with Garage, and um we have had a couple of conversations with some female um founders as well. Um, I think we had to cancel one, and one of them had to cancel one, but they're being rescheduled. Um, but for me, canopy, it's like there's so many people within there that you can come and chat to, and I mean, unfortunately, I'd I had a bereavement as well, which has took quite a lot of time out of what we've been able to do. Um, but yeah, you printed that off this week, didn't you? So we're gonna go through that and like start reaching out to people and getting back on track with everything.

Stewart Noakes 17:28

Also, I think you've got your incubation plan.

Sharlene Rudd 17:31

Yeah, we have, and I think because also, because we're sort of we've we've redone so since since actually we've spoken, we've like we've got a branding sorted.

Vikki Nolan 17:39

So now we've got a new logo, got a new branding for role resolve, we've got uh had a web website redone, and we're we've sort of really so like Vicky mentioned um priorities coming on, um, which we'll cover in a minute, um, about sort of the woman and well-being, we've actually separated it now into four sections, and and although we're not obviously not doing all of it at the same time, it's sort of giving us focus on sort of prioritising and we've also built a team as well, so yeah, we realise that there is you know, me and Charlene can't do everything on our own, and the only way to we work in education, and our passion is working in education and you know being there for the next generation, and we know we can't go into every school ourselves single-handedly, so we've got a team now that come out, we're training them to deliver the intervention, we're hoping that they can be kind of like train the trainer and like they can then go out and do that. Um, but we've also want to adapt what we were doing, which was always part of the plan, is to go into workplaces. Um, but we're going into the corporate side, it's like we are definitely that is definitely a passion because psychological safety in the workplace is so important, but we realize that concentrating on education and the workplace at the same time is quite tricky. So we've had um someone join us who will be graduating next year, so he's still a student at Derby University, he's gonna be the head of our workplace interventions, so it's the same interventions that we're adapting and just changing who the target audience is for that, and then we have got a CIC a lot. Well, we've got a limited company in a CIC, and another student who's just about to graduate is joining us to oversee the homeschooling and look to have children who are looked after by care, um, who will be bringing the same interventions through the CIC to apply for funding. So we've got different aspects to what we're doing, but building a team has been really important to us at the minute because we know that we can't do all that by ourselves, so we have it's been a stepping stone, hasn't it?

Stewart Noakes 19:39

Yeah, amazing, amazing. So much going on all the time. All right, we'll turn around

Why The Host Builds Companies

Stewart Noakes 19:48

fair play. Have you got any questions you want to ask me in this thing?

Vikki Nolan 19:52

So, what about you into entrepreneurial um roles?

Stewart Noakes 20:00

My blessing and curse is that I'm an only child.

Vikki Nolan 20:04

Right.

Stewart Noakes 20:04

So uh some people have reflected that it might be an ADHD quality as well, but basically I'm not good with other people's roles. I'm used to making my own rooms. Uh and I, you know, I did a little bit of work in corporate consultancy life and stuff, but I basically started building my first company at 26 and I created the space that I wanted for me. Uh I built that with a couple of folks, which was really great. And we we did 13 years from start to finish in that one and internationalized it into a couple of different countries and stuff. And uh since then I've done 10 other companies and built incubators in places and stuff, and just started the 11th company with uh a couple of friends, which is an investment fund for canopy. But yeah, it's uh the the frustration in me is just basically not appreciating other people's systems very well. Some people can sit in those and work within them. I just get annoyed by it and feel I need the agency to change, so I create rooms that have that in them, and then I try and give that agency to other people when they're within the same space as well. It's just how I'm built. It's very frustrating uh for me and for those around me, but it is just what you know inspires and compels me to do these things.

Vikki Nolan 21:18

Absolutely, I can kind of relate to that. I'm I'm an only child and definitely an ADHD thing as well. Um, but yeah, I think I've worked in like the legal sector, I've worked in insurance, I've worked in different like sales and commercial roles. But I was like, I don't like play by somebody else's rule book. And I'm like, I want to build my dream and I want them to achieve their dream, but I want to build my dream and not somebody else's. And it's great when we can all get to the top together, kind of thing. But I think, yeah, definitely not play to somebody else's like rule book and do my own thing is a massive thing for me, is why I always want to be self employed.

Stewart Noakes 22:02

I've got a question. Yeah, yeah, go ahead.

Sharlene Rudd 22:05

So is there, do you know, is there sort of like from what you've experienced, because obviously you've worked with like lots of founders and entrepreneurs, is there a like a common sort of either character, um character aspect of somebody or an outlook that you see time and time again that makes them successful? Do you know what I mean? It's like is there a site a common thread?

Stewart Noakes 22:30

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I mean probably the single most important thread I see in people that do do this stuff and are successful in it is that they want to do it. It's a it's a deliberate choice. And I know that seems odd to say, because of course it's a deliberate choice, why not? But the people that fall falter are the ones that actually aren't fully committed to it. Like you gotta some of this stuff is really difficult. And when you choose it and you choose it deliberately, and you choose it and you put both feet into it, you get through those things. But when it's not quite a thing or there's something better or whatever, you don't tend to get through those moments. So either break you or you just simply leave uh and go and get a job somewhere and make it all more much more stable. And that's fine, you know. Different people are built in different ways and they do things for themselves that fit in their lives. But the ones that are successful entrepreneurs, they just genuinely want to do it this way. Get on with it.

Vikki Nolan 23:26

That's what I think it comes down to a lot of like resilience and yeah, pushing through. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Stewart Noakes 23:33

And having faith that you'll get there, but also resilience. Like people say, oh, it's standing up against all this pressure and stuff, it's actually living with the downside as well. Like there are some things that don't go well. You you are strong with it, but it fails. And now what you have to do is pick yourself up and get on with it again, and that's not always easy either, you know, in life and and in business, it can be quite uh flawing to go through some of those.

Sharlene Rudd 23:57

And I think that's I think that's the value of us doing this the journey together, is that you know, on the days that it is difficult and you know you have setbacks, or you know, it's like the the financial impact of it all, you know. Um therapists, we definitely don't therapise each other at all, we're brutal. Um, but the thing we're great therapists with everybody else, just I just like to be on that. Um but I think that's the thing, I think that's probably the the biggest value that we have is that we can celebrate together, but we also can hold each other up on you know when it is tough. So I think there is it's like that, isn't it? With that, the journey of being an entrepreneur.

Stewart Noakes 24:45

Yeah, and I mean in these sort of 11 companies I've done, I've also been involved in uh over 50 different board teams. And you know, I've been a good, bad and indifferent founder and co-founder in different companies, and I've also worked with good, bad and indifferent, so I've seen all these different journeys at that level, and it's amazing how that quality of investing in each other and helping each other through that is what really makes the big biggest success. It's not always about skills, it's about how you give yourselves that longevity from that team structure. And as an only child, watching teamwork and like being part of teamwork isn't always the easiest, but then when you see the value of it, it sort of draws you in to do a bit more of it and to try and find some new skills in that space.

Sharlene Rudd 25:29

Yeah, yeah, definitely.

Launching Inspire For Female Founders

Stewart Noakes 25:32

Right now, we're gonna get to the bit where I ask you for your best advice for a first-time founder. But before I do, I know you guys are launching something soon, so do you want to tell people about that? And who is it you want to come and try this stuff out?

Vikki Nolan 25:44

Females. Um, so on the back before going to university, I did a lot of uh direct sales and multi-level marketing. Um, and through COVID, I did a lot of that because I had to leave my job because my daughter was classed as vulnerable, and she was she's nine now, she was a lot younger then, and I didn't want to say I was told not to send her to school, and so it's a whole thing was at home, and I was like, How can I make money basically while still being at home? And direct sales was a really great opportunity for me, and it kept our head above water. But I also know the struggles that come with direct sales, how isolating it can be, and also that you know you use social medias to promote what you're doing, and sometimes that can be a space which isn't really that safe for females when they're working, and you know, you can look for collaborations, and there's a lot on there, and people do amazing. I mean, I did, and those social platforms are great, but we wanted to create a space where female founders, for whether you're a startup or whether you're someone who's really successful, can have uh I don't want to use the word social media again, but I can't think of the right word. A community space. Yeah, so it's gonna be on an app, the website's um almost ready. We're just gonna refine it today, and then it's ready to be launched into an app. It's gonna have a free profile. Anyone can come up and set a profile up if you're a female, founder, self-employed, whatever it is you do, and you can use the services on there to share and connect what you connect with other people and look for collaborations. But then there's gonna be there is going to be paid tiers where you can um we have a middle one which is like $9.99 a month, where you can access um different types of training, you can build groups on there for your team if you're building a team and promote your services, and then we have another one which is it's not overly expensive, but it's a little bit more expensive. But if we have like networking events in person, you'd get priority tickets, you can come and host a networking event and we'll support you. And then once a month, we'll have like Founders Day online where we'll jump on a call and you know, people can ask us questions, we'll get other founders to get in involved in that, but also a space for founders who have made it and they're looking to invest in other females, they can come and jump on the app and be like, I'm looking to support females in mental health businesses or engineering businesses, and I know I've got knowledge in that, so I can help. So it's just that space where we can help each other make it basically.

Stewart Noakes 28:10

Okay, and when does that go live? When can people start to click on it?

Vikki Nolan 28:13

Um it should be live in the next couple of uh well, I'm gonna say by next week, but the app's gonna be called Inspire, so I-N-S-P-I-R-A, uh, which is a short abbreviation we think for inspire her.

Stewart Noakes 28:26

Um, so yeah, well, good luck with that, and we'll we'll put a little link in the episode so that people can find that when uh when it's gone live. All right, magic.

Best Advice For First-Time Founders

Sharlene Rudd 28:35

Amazing.

Stewart Noakes 28:35

So um now's the time to finish up. Role models as you are, people's choice winners as you are in the community. What is your best advice for a first-time founder watching this? What should they be thinking about? What should they be doing?

Vikki Nolan 28:48

I'm gonna say passion. Go with what you're passionate about because entrepreneurial roles or setting up your own business can be a risk. And one of the biggest sayings that stays with me is you've got to be prepared to live how some won't, so you can live how others can't. And I think someone said that to me years ago, and it stayed with me. And it's so hard work sometimes. The hard days are hard, but if you're doing something that you're genuinely passionate about, that that keeps it alive. That's for me the one thing that keeps me going every day because I know what I'm doing has a purpose, it serves a purpose, and I'm passionate about it.

Sharlene Rudd 29:24

I would say um make sure you have your cheerleading network because that's your support system. Um, because on the days when it's not going great, having somebody to or people just to bounce out off to pick you up, but also to celebrate the wins with as well, to say, you know, oh my god, that is absolutely amazing, you're doing so well. Sometimes that is just the push you need. Um, and it's having that, I think it's having that combination that is so powerful.

Stewart Noakes 29:59

Amazing, what great advice. And you know, as I say, when I go to Derby and I know I'm going to meet you too, I'm always smiling, right? It's a it's a magic feeling. You bring so much positivity to the things that you do, and you're such great citizens as well, and the way you help other people and support people and hold other people up. It's really lovely. Thank you so much for being here today and for being part of the community and for sharing your story. I hope somebody watching this says, Do you know what? Now I've seen those two. I'm gonna go do this too. That'd be amazing.

Sharlene Rudd 30:29

Yeah, I would.

Stewart Noakes 30:31

Brilliant. All right, thank you very much.

Sharlene Rudd 30:33

Thank you.