Welcome to a new series of behind-the-scenes blogs from me, Martha, founder and chief stationery maker! This is my journal, a chance to tell you what I’ve been up to, and we start with a treat! Come with me as I speak at Enterprise Nation’s StartUp Show…

Martha’s Journal: Speaking at Enterprise Nation’s StartUp Show

Well, what a day Saturday was! I was up early doors and across London towards Blackfriars and the City of London. Despite being at the gloomy end of January, the sun was out and I had a spring in my step because I was heading to Enterprise Nation’s StartUp Show.

Billed as ‘the biggest and best start-up event of the new year’, I adore this event. Aimed at helping entrepreneurs with everything they need to know about starting and growing a business, I first went to it many moons ago in the early years of Martha Brook when I really didn’t know very much about anything at all!

Enterprise Nation’s StartUp Show has come a long way since then, and this year promised to be the best ever. At a new venue, Convene, St Paul’s, with 1.500 entrepreneurial attendees, I felt hugely honoured to be invited to host a session amongst some incredible speakers. A quick glance at the agenda shows names like Simon Squibb, Emma Barnett, and Deepak Ravindran, the co-founder of Oddbox, plus brilliantly useful sessions on everything from AI to marketing strategy to raising investment.

I arrived excited but also nervous, with five stages, and such an incredible line-up, how many people would come to watch my talk?! I really wasn’t sure.

The Enterprise Nation’s Startup Show team always do a brilliant job, and this year was no different. The main atrium was buzzing, with people meeting each other in between sessions and a popular exhibition space you could dip into. I know from attending in the past, as well as the sessions, I gained a lot of value in the conversations over lunch or a cup of coffee when you always bump into someone growing something inspiring.

When it came to my slot, I simply couldn’t believe how packed it was, It was standing room only, with attendees being turned away at the door. The team told me afterwards that my session was the MOST favourited on the app before the show across all five stages, which blew me away.

I spoke on how to build a personal brand, something I believe is so important for brands in 2025. People don’t want to hear from businesses, they want to hear from people! (Maybe that’s why you are here reading this blog?!) And one of the things I am passionate about doing is helping other business owners show up confidently as themselves.

It’s why I set up Business Secrets Club in my spare time last year, and the irony wasn’t lost on me that I initially did it in secret, so nervous about what people would think! Now having grown 80K followers on Instagram in the last year, wow have I learnt that as a founder, it’s not just about your product or service, it’s about YOU. People are much more likely to follow and care about what you do if there is someone they can see and relate to.

A huge thank you to the Enterprise Nation team for inviting me along, and to everyone who came to my session. it was such a joy to see several Martha Brook long-term followers there! Here’s to inspiring more people to follow their dreams and making it happen in 2025. 🙌

P.S. For stationery to chase your goals this year, check out our 2025 stationery collection.