On the Blog: Straight Talk from an Entrepreneur Coach
On The Ask’s blog you'll find no-nonsense insights, practical advice, and thought-provoking questions to fuel your entrepreneurial journey. Whether you're contemplating a major pivot, seeking to sharpen your decision-making skills, or simply looking to stay ahead of the pack, get valuable resources to level up.
How to commit and follow through on your career and business goals
An essay on finding the necessary conviction to pursue what you SAY you most want in your career and relentlessly execute upon it. Part 1 of a 2 part series.
What comes first, your personal or company brand?
A joint newsletter post ft. Tejaswi Gautam of Future of Work, Future of You on the power of investing in your personal brand to ensure you future-proof your career.
How to get back up again after you fall in entrepreneurship
When you're taking risks, dreaming big and going for gold... you won't always reach the stars. Here's how to pick yourself up again after a fall.
What is stopping you from starting your new idea or business? (Continued)
Part 2 of 2 - Nearly every new founder faces hurdles of a lack of time, money, confidence and focus. Read on to find out how your confidence and focus issues are blocking your progress and what to do about it.
What is stopping you from starting your new idea or business?
Part 1 of 2 as we explore the common hurdles new founders face in their lack of time, money, confidence and focus.
Is ‘follow your passion’ helpful advice when starting a business?
‘Follow your passion’ is advice often thrown around when starting a business or side project. For those who have yet to discover theirs, this advice is frustrating. But, here’s a more helpful way to look at it..
Why turning your talent to money is the most important skill you’ll ever learn
The working world has changed for good. Remote work, digital nomadism and the search for meaning make the workplace more exciting than ever. But how do you capitalise on it? Is entrepreneurship the answer?
How to travel and work remotely
Personal reflections having taken The Ask onto the road, alongside some life and business lessons for us all.
How to get your first 1,000 email subscribers
The strategies and checklist to get from 0 to 1000 email newsletter subscribers, taken from the tools I used to grow The Ask newsletter
How to use your heart to set goals you truly care about achieving
Follow these four steps to setting goals that light you up, plus what you can expect from me, The Ask® and this newsletter in the year ahead
How to get customers lining up to buy from you.
Getting customers is key to the growth and success of your new business. But how do you do it, without feeling gimmicky, strained or uncomfortable? Read on for tips on how to promote your business authentically.
Who are your customers and what do they want from you?
Customers are the lifeblood of any business. How do you know who they are? We speak to Product Marketing expert Alicia Carney for her insights on customer acquisition and niching.
Why is it so hard to pick a niche?
Niching is a vital skill for any entrepreneur starting a new business. It can make or break your business strategy and mean the difference between success or failure. Here's everything you never knew about niching and how to do it for your business.
How should you design your business model?
A framework for building your business model based on what you, the market and your customer ultimately want.
What happens when your initial idea collides with the market.
Discussing strategy with Alex Smith, Founder of Basic Arts. Taking business advice from Dolly Parton and why doing 'strategy' is finding out that your initial idea is wrong.
What it looks like when you pursue a strategy for your business based on your personal goals.
Only when entrepreneurs can say what they want personally from their businesses, can they make key decisions about how to build it. Your strategy must reflect your personal goals.
Self-financing your startup, using your time wisely and tips from a serial entrepreneur.
Did you know that the majority of businesses are funded by the entrepreneur’s personal savings? My advice here is to begin with a good money mindset, know your numbers and, crucially, expect to invest in yourself if you want to see return…
How To Find The Time And Money To Start Your Business
Part 2/8 in a series for early-stage founders. Exploring quitting your job, managing your financial runway and finding conviction in the process of starting.
How To Set Goals You’ll Actually Achieve
A framework for goal setting as we launch into 2021 with new hopes and dreams.
How To Kick Your Perfectionism To The Curb
Understanding the signs of perfectionism and how to deal with them.
Podcasts & Press Featuring Ellen
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Financial Times
Ellen was asked to contribute to the FT's Money piece about freelancers and self-employed consultants taking centre stage in a world where corporate careers are taking a back seat.
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Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast
Ellen shares her entrepreneurial journey from recruitment to becoming a renowned business coach. She emphasizes the importance of choosing yourself, carving out a niche, and consistently showing up to build authority in your space. Ellen provides practical tips for female founders and solopreneurs, including strategic decision-making, setting professional boundaries, and finding work-life balance in London. A passionate advocate for women in business, Ellen discusses her productivity tools, morning routine, and the habits that keep her grounded as a successful entrepreneur.
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Reputation Revolution
Ellen joins Trevor Young to talk through her five-part framework for building a profitable service business on your own terms. She breaks down how to define your unique contribution, create a methodology that's distinctively yours, and move beyond time-for-money without burning out. The conversation covers the difference between marketing and actually asking for the sale, why starting with a service beats launching a course, and how to package your expertise in ways that give you both financial safety and creative freedom. If you're thinking about leaving corporate or running a business that feels misaligned, this is a grounded take on what it really takes to build something sustainable.
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Work is Weird Now
Ellen joins the Work is Weird Now podcast to discuss why the 9-to-5 is becoming outdated and more people are turning to freelance work, gig roles, and one-person businesses. She explores the erosion of trust in corporate structures, the impact on women with caring responsibilities, and why this shift has been accelerating since the pandemic. Ellen shares her view that not everyone should be an entrepreneur, but explains why more people are being pushed into it anyway — through layoffs, back-to-office mandates, and a breakdown in the employer-employee contract. If you're questioning whether traditional employment still works for you, this is a grounded look at what's really happening.
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The Company Doctor
Instilling a healthy dose of self-belief and guiding solopreneurs to success is Ellen Donnelly’s superpower, and she’s the perfect guest on The Company Doctor Podcast to inspire those of you ready to take the leap. Discover the ingredients to building a billion pound, one-person business in this episode
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Gross to Net
Ellen talks through her career shift from executive recruitment into coaching entrepreneurs who want to build one-person businesses. The conversation explores why people start businesses in the first place, what drives that decision, and what it really takes to make the leap. Ellen provides some on-air consulting, the tables get turned, and the discussion becomes a live example of the kind of strategic thinking that goes into building authority and clarity around your work. If you're considering a pivot or wondering whether entrepreneurship is right for you, this is a candid look at the transition.
