This week on The Merri-Cast, I’m joined by the fantastic Alison Jones – entrepreneur, publisher, author and coach.
Alison built her career in senior roles at Oxford University Press and Palgrave Macmillan before stepping away from corporate life to create Practical Inspiration Publishing – a business that deliberately broke the traditional publishing rulebook.
In this honest and wide-ranging conversation, we explore what it really means to go it alone – from those 3am doubts and cash-flow fears to building a sustainable, values-led and genuinely impactful business.
In this episode, Alison shares:
• Why writing is one of the most powerful thinking tools entrepreneurs can use
• How her definition of success has changed – and why clarity matters more than ambition
• Why most entrepreneurs underestimate the emotional side of starting a business
• How to turn expertise into a feasible and scalable enterprise
• The realities of cash flow and taking risks
We also discuss entrepreneurship in a world of AI disruption, why books and deep thinking still matter, and how resourcefulness is what really carries founders through.
If you’re thinking about starting a business, already in the thick of it, or questioning what success looks like for you, this episode is well worth a listen.
🎧 Listen to the full episode HERE.