10: Lead Well Live Well with Dee Blick - Episode 10

10: Lead Well Live Well with Dee Blick - Episode 10

What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction, self-doubt and business pressure? This chat between host and recovering alcoholic Dee Blick and franchise co-founder Kat Robson Scarborough brings together sobriety-friendly encouragement with very practical business wisdom. You’ll hear how Kat went from politics-obsessed student to retail high-flyer, then into co-founding the Your Man With A Van franchise with her husband Dan.

She talks about swapping a director-level salary for life on the edge, backing a model built on people first, profit second, and why she refused a “cookie cutter” franchise system that didn’t feel human.

The episode spends plenty of time on wellbeing through work: Kat explains how her dad’s people-centred change management shaped her, why she’s “not their boss” but a straight-talking partner to 63 franchisees, and how success for her is seeing those franchisees share their wins in a group chat. Dee links this to her own sales “hustle” and care for clients, highlighting the power of shared values and service. A big theme is imposter syndrome and fear of failure.

Kat openly admits she feels it “all the time”, reframing anxiety as excitement and sharing a friend’s rule: if you wouldn’t say it to your best mate, don’t say it to yourself. Dee adds her own rituals for handling nerves and stresses the importance of being kinder to yourself, especially in recovery. There’s even a lighter thread about Winston the French bulldog, unofficial “chief snoring officer”, who forces screen breaks and offers cuddles on tough days.

If you’re building a business in sobriety, thinking about franchising, or simply fighting your inner critic, this episode gives you plenty to reflect on. Which voice are you going to let be loudest in your head today?