Why Being a Non-Linear Thinker Is Your Point of Difference | Anna Brand

Join your host, Ashleigh King, as she welcomes Anna Brand — founder of B. with Anna Brand, brand strategist, podcaster, dog lover and self-confessed non-linear thinker — for a warm, funny and refreshingly honest conversation about branding, confidence, late-diagnosed ADHD, and the courage it takes to finally own who you are.

From spending most of her life believing she was "the stupid one" to going back to university at 30 as a single mum, Anna shares how becoming a mother, starting a business, and stepping in front of a camera she found terrifying reshaped her sense of what she's capable of.

Themes of this conversation:

🌵 Leading your brand, not just running your business 

Why so many founders have spent years "just running a business" without ever owning what they stand for.

🌵 "I'm obsessed with how branding changes you" 

Anna reflects on why branding isn't really about logos for her, but about the confidence and self-belief she never had — and how helping others find theirs became her purpose.

🌵 The turning point: becoming a mum 

How the birth of her son shifted everything, sparking a decision to go back to uni as a mature student, start a business, and stop hiding.

🌵 You don't have to be Elton John to lead 

Debunking the myth that leadership means being an extrovert, a "tech bro", or the perfect Instagram woman.

🌵 Imposter syndrome and cutting the "BS" 

Why speaking from lived experience and real client feedback quiets the self-doubt, and how honesty is the antidote to feeling like a fraud.

🌵 The "invisible phenomenon" 

Ashleigh and Anna unpack why so many women aged 40–60 feel invisible under the weight of caring responsibilities and mental load — and why their dreams deserve attention too.

🌵 Doing it scared, and doing it together 

Anna admits being on camera was the most terrifying thing she could imagine — and shares how surrounding herself with the right people helped her do it anyway, to prove to others that they can too.

🌵 Just start, and stop comparing 

On finding your own way to show up (notes or no notes, pen in hand or not), letting your style evolve, and why the only real advice for starting a podcast is to begin.

🌵 ADHD, labels and self-understanding 

An honest, nuanced exchange on late diagnosis — why Anna still doesn't see ADHD as a superpower, why Ashleigh is learning to shed labels, and how easy it is to over-identify with them.

🌵 Owning your difference 

Why shared "brand values" are really just shared experiences, why honesty always outperforms performance, and how thinking in a non-linear way became Anna's point of difference.

Chapters

00:00 "I Spent Most of My Life Thinking I Was Stupid" 

02:10 Meet Anna Brand: Helping Founders Lead, Not Just Run 

02:58 Why Your Brand Evolves as You Do 

05:14 Feeling Different: Anger, Loneliness and a Restless Mind 

06:06 The Turning Point: Becoming a Mum 

08:21 Ashleigh's "Ideal Guest" and the Heart of Nurture Your Zest 

09:52 Back to Uni at 30 as a Single Mum 

14:19 AI, Change and the Rise of Personal Brand 

17:12 You Don't Have to Be Elton John to Lead 

18:00 Imposter Syndrome and Cutting the "BS" 

20:00 The "Invisible Phenomenon" for Women 40–60 

22:35 Facing the Camera: Doing It Scared, Together 

26:58 Finding Your Own Way to Show Up (and Just Starting) 

31:56 ADHD, Labels and "The Stupid One" 

35:27 Shared Values, Honesty and Owning Your Difference 

40:28 One Word to Nurture Your Zest

Links & Resources

Visit Anna Brand’s Website: annabrandcreative.com

Tune in to Anna's Podcast: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChb6FfRRnH5hzL18Dkb_F5w

Connect with Anna Brand on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/anna-brand

Connect with Your Host, Ashleigh King: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleigh-elizabeth-king/

This podcast was filmed at Flamingo Heights Podcast Studio. 🦩 If you would like to record a podcast or have any questions about starting a podcast please write to: 

💌 bookings@flamingoheights.co.uk www.flamingoheights.co.uk