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Adrian Ashton

@adrianashton2.bsky.social
357 followers 572 following 243 posts

supporting people & organisations (social / otherwise) deal with uncertainty; occasional anorak; a tiger striped chaise lounge with a flamingo cushion.

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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 14h
Soupy Twist! I can't imagine anyone saw #HughLaurie would be making a cameo in my book, Flushed!, as part of my reflecting on running a business for 20 years in ways contrary to accepted wisdom...
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
My mankini has meant I've only been able to enjoy the powerhouse event for small businesses that is Atomicon virtually for the last few years - but this week there's a flash sale on tickets to reward the early birds for July 2027: atomic.site?aap=363
atomic.site
Home - ATOMIC | A Worldwide Community of Small Business Owners
We help small & mighty ATOMIC business owners to earn more & hustle less. Grow faster than ever before with our programmes, events & freebies.
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Revealing the influence of both the almighty, and crazy golf: sharing entries under the 'G' index in my book, Flushed! - about having been running a business for 20 years by not following the usual rules...
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
more readings from the index of my book, ‘Flushed!’ about accidentally running a business for 20 years - still in a toilet (in keeping with the books’ cover) but this time with props!
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Bookshelfie ⭐️ @bookshelfie.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
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Bookshelfie ⭐️ @bookshelfie.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
"Things that come out of chicken's bottoms" and other unexpected things from the latest reading from the index of my book, Flushed! - how I've been ignoring all the rules in how you're supposed to run a business for over 20 years...
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
As a student, and then lead associate tutor for the Co-operative College, capturing stories is critical to embed its legacy and future influence on the wider co-operative movement.
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
I make a glaring omission when I published my first book (although this didn't stop it becoming a global best-seller and winning an award). For everyone who bought 'Loving Your Doubt', or is curious about my inspirations for it - I present: "the missing index"... drive.google.com/file/d/1NCYA...
drive.google.com
Loving Your Doubt - the missing index.pdf
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Making the case as to why we shouldn't judge books by their covers, but their index. (And in keeping with the title of this book, I recorded it while sat on a toilet...)
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Please don't limit someone's life by not telling them the potential you see in them. substack.com/home/post/p-...
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
I'm very appreciative to BoxMediaTV for the invitation to guest on their podcast about the scale of the problem that the economy is facing because nearly 1m unpaid carers aren't recognised as such (as well as some tangents about pineapples, dogs, and toilets...) www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehi3...
youtube.com
The £10 Billion Hidden Crisis: Why 600 People a Day are Quitting the UK Workforce
YouTube video by BOXmediaTV
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Is the reason most companies struggle to support unpaid carers in their workforce because there's no leadership from Directors on this? open.substack.com/pub/adrianas...
open.substack.com
Company Boards are missing out on a massive talent pool because no-one's asked them about caring
is the reason most companies struggle to support unpaid carers in their workforce because there's no leadership from Directors on this?
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Excited to be a ‘cover pin up’ for The Real Edits after they spotted me as a person who’s story they felt deserved to be told more widely. therealedit.site/adrian-ashton/
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Imposter Syndrome doesn’t just affect us in the workplace – it can creep into all parts of our lives… but what if it’s just a bogeyman, and doesn’t really exist after all? amzn.eu/d/02ZhZCPH
amzn.eu
Loving your doubt: Why everything we think we understand and know about Imposter Syndrome is (probably) wrong: Amazon.co.uk: Ashton, Adrian: 9798431905407: Books
Buy Loving your doubt: Why everything we think we understand and know about Imposter Syndrome is (probably) wrong by Ashton, Adrian (ISBN: 9798431905407) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices ...
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PIRC @publicinterest.org.uk · 23/07/2026
Eight Years On From Framing the Economy, we revisit our toolkit, sharing insights from our learnings as well as our learnings from friends at @fprovfoundation.bsky.social publicinterest.org.uk/eight-years-...
publicinterest.org.uk
Eight Years On From Framing the Economy – PIRC
It’s been eight years since we published Framing the Economy. Back then, one participant told us: “I think the economy is set by men in suits basically, and the
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
As a published author, it's always encouraging when people leave reviews for your book on Amazon - but I need to remind myself to keep checking in on GoodReads too, after spotting a batch of reviews I'd missed that people have bene posting there! www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...
goodreads.com
Flushed!: The first 20 years - a view from the b(l)og
Adrian Ashton never meant to create his own business - …
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
being smuggled through toilet windows; starting fights at academic conferences; and sword fights on trains with the transport police - my 2 truths and 1 lie that caught out Steve Folland when I was invited to guest on the @beingfreelance.com podcast... www.beingfreelance.com/season-25/ad...
beingfreelance.com
Adrian Ashton - Freelancing As An Unpaid Carer — BEING FREELANCE - Podcast and Community for freelancers
Adrian has been freelancing for 21 years. For the last seven, he's also been an unpaid carer - for not one, not two, but three immediate family members. He opens up about how that changed everything: ...
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
We may now be over half way through 2026, but no-one's yet claimed the prize against my 'bingo card' for this year - which means you're still in with a chance of winning a prize from me? drive.google.com/file/d/1zTwR...
drive.google.com
Adrian Ashton - 2026 bingo edition.pdf
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Some of my clients are physically starving me because of their forgetfulness... (but at least this year it wasn't as much as being able to afford to pay the rent, for my family to have somewhere to call home) substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com
physically starved by others' forgetfulness
(at least this year, it wasn't as much as covering the rent for my family to have somewhere to call home)
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Gods, crossing the road, and the eternal controversary about which is better: cake or ice cream - my contributions at #214 of the top tips for the best possible freelance life you can have (as collated by Sophie Cross for Freelancer Magazine). www.linkedin.com/pulse/211-ti...
linkedin.com
211 tips (and counting) for a happy freelance life
While I'm feeling elated that Freelancer Magazine has reached Issue 22, The Dunker has been quietly ticking along in the background and has reached edition 200! I've written 200 tips, so I'll keep thi...
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
'business' books are written in a sequence that the author wants you to follow. I wrote Flushed! to be read in whichever order makes the most sense to you (see 'read sample' button on the Amazon page for the contents pages - amzn.eu/d/04m5jq8g)
amzn.eu
Flushed!: The first 20 years - a view from the b(l)og
Flushed!: The first 20 years - a view from the b(l)og : Ashton, Adrian: Amazon.co.uk: Books
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
"hysteria is a perfectly valid response to overwhelming circumstances" - and other insights I've shared in the latest Freelancer Magazine about running a business while also being an unpaid carer... freelancermagazine.co.uk
freelancermagazine.co.uk
Freelancer Magazine | For Creative & Marketing Freelancers
Bedtime business reading and daytime connection for creative and marketing freelancers. The only magazine especially for B2B and creative freelancers.
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
if you've ever wondered why I do an impact report on myself each year (instead of killing baby seals) - check out the second half of my conversation with @beingfreelance.com www.beingfreelance.com/season-25/ad...
beingfreelance.com
Adrian Ashton - Freelancing As An Unpaid Carer — BEING FREELANCE - Podcast and Community for freelancers
Adrian has been freelancing for 21 years. For the last seven, he's also been an unpaid carer - for not one, not two, but three immediate family members. He opens up about how that changed everything: ...
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
another reason why I'll try and keep using public transport for all my business travel... thirdsectorexpert.blogspot.com/2026/07/free...
thirdsectorexpert.blogspot.com
free bus passes for working
For those of us self-employed and freelancer types who are 'of a certain generation', I recently spotted an unexpected and rare offer of sup...
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Great to be invited to reflect on my freelancing story of breaking rules over the last 20 years, and what others might be able to take encouragement from in that... www.freelancing.support/story/adrian...
freelancing.support
Loving the doubt | Resources for Freelancers from Freelancing.Support
Adrian Ashton, a freelance consultant, facilitator and researcher, shares what more than 20 years of freelancing has changed in how he thinks and works.
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Turn2us @turn2us.org.uk · 23/06/2026
Today we brought the Jobcentre into Parliament. MPs went through an actor-led experience of the system as it is now, and as it could be, then heard directly from the people who’ve lived it. A Jobcentre built on dignity, not suspicion, is possible. #StopTheStigma #FixTheSystem
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Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Co-operate and we can change the world. #CoopFortnight is here, and This Beautiful Idea by Tony Walsh captures what #coops make possible: member-owned businesses making a difference in communities across the UK – and around the world. Watch, repost and help spread the word. #ThisBeautifulIdea
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
I'm not sure I've ever seen Steve Folland, the host of @beingfreelance.com podcast looking so serious as he did when I guested on the show - but then we were looking at an often-taboo topic for freelancers... www.beingfreelance.com/season-25/ad...
beingfreelance.com
Adrian Ashton - Freelancing As An Unpaid Carer — BEING FREELANCE - Podcast and Community for freelancers
Adrian has been freelancing for 21 years. For the last seven, he's also been an unpaid carer - for not one, not two, but three immediate family members. He opens up about how that changed everything: ...
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
The best thing about big conference events, might not be the main event itself, nor it's headline industry celebrity speakers..? thirdsectorexpert.blogspot.com/2026/06/the-... #atomicon
thirdsectorexpert.blogspot.com
the best thing about Atomicon isn't Atomicon..?
There's an annual national event called 'Atomicon' that lots of small business owners and freelancers like me rave about, for how it's energ...
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Chuffed to have been asked by Enterprise Nation to comment as their expert advisor, in highlighting the current government consultation on how unpaid carers might be better supported by employers (and why that's important for us all). www.enterprisenation.com/learn-someth...
enterprisenation.com
Small businesses have a chance to shape new carer support rules – and it could help you too
If you employ people or run a business while caring for someone, this is your opportunity to make sure the rules actually work.
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Carers UK @carers-uk.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
If you're caring for someone who is disabled, older, or seriously ill, we want to hear your views and experiences. The #StateOfCaring survey 2026 is open. Tell us what matters to you and help build a powerful case for better support for unpaid carers: bit.pulse.ly/swn3t7x0ar
A vibrant red banner features bold white text: "State of Caring Survey 2026" and "MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!" Below, a top-down view shows hands typing on a laptop, with a smartphone and glasses nearby. The bottom-right corner displays a stylized logo.
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
It's been over 5 years since an 'Adrian' guested on the @beingfreelance.com podcast - glad I could help make up the quota for all the freelancers I share a name with. www.beingfreelance.com/season-25/ad...
beingfreelance.com
Adrian Ashton - Freelancing As An Unpaid Carer — BEING FREELANCE - Podcast and Community for freelancers
Adrian has been freelancing for 21 years. For the last seven, he's also been an unpaid carer - for not one, not two, but three immediate family members. He opens up about how that changed everything: ...
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Carers Week @carers-week.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Today we publish ‘Building Carer Friendly Communities: a blueprint’, setting out our vision for creating communities where unpaid carers are recognised, valued and supported. Read and share the blueprint today: carersuk.pulse.ly/iphejcurp9
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
After several attempts on Steve Folland's part to wrestle me and my calendar, I'm about to be interviewed for the @beingfreelance.com Freelance podcast! www.beingfreelance.com/the-best-fre... (here's hoping I don't embarrass myself against my fellow freelance alumni from the last 25 seasons!)
beingfreelance.com
Being Freelance Podcast — BEING FREELANCE - Podcast and Community for freelancers
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Proud to stand in solidarity with fellow unpaid carers by sharing my name/face on this years' #CarersWeek wall (along with why we need to talk about ourselves more...) @carers-week.bsky.social www.carersweek.org
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Common Cause Foundation @commoncause.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Journalists: every choice you make about what to cover, how to frame it and whose voice to centre shapes what seems normal, possible or impossible in our culture. Rarely are those choices made consciously. A practical toolkit to help you understand how: valuesawarejournalism.org
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Edinburgh Business and Lifestyle online magazine @edinburghbusiness.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
The UK lacks a robust support system for entrepreneurs who have experienced economic hardship, according to the final report of The Maple Review, an independent UK-government-backed study www.businesslifeedinburgh.com/post/report-...
businesslifeedinburgh.com
Report findings demand action to tackle entrepreneurship inequality
The UK lacks a robust support system for entrepreneurs who have experienced economic hardship, according to the final report of The Maple Review, an independent UK-government-backed study.Following a ...
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Proud to be part of this year's inaugural #SmallBusinessWeek - and to showcase how even the smallest of businesses can create significant impacts for our communities and customers: drive.google.com/file/d/1JcCF... (find others like us at entrepreneurscircle.org/sbw/)
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Could the world of social enterprise be entering 'an age of regression'? (or, how social is becoming less enterprising and more charitable) open.substack.com/pub/adrianas...
open.substack.com
Is social becoming less enterprising, and more charitable?
Could the world of social enterprise be entering 'an age of regression'?
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Anti-Reform @antireform.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
What an excellent idea exposing the everyday corruption of policy-buying donations "Should MPs have to wear their political donors on their suits like F1 drivers?" via Protect the Wild
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Chuffed that @isbecommunity.bsky.social have picked up on my (landmark?) social impact/report, which may set a new standard for how we consider reporting the wider outcomes and impacts of our work: www.isbe.org.uk/isbe-member-...
isbe.org.uk
ISBE member publishes UK’s first 20-year scope impact report
Adrian Ashton has published his latest annual impact report, which includes consideration for total impacts created over a continuous 20-year period. Over the last 20 years, ISBE member Adrian Ashton has produced annual impact reports on himself as a sole trader consultant – not with a focus on clients or projects delivered, but on how his […]
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Chuffed to see my latest book reflecting on 20 yrs of accidental entrepreneurship profiled by @angliaruskin.bsky.social in the May issue of their alumni magazine (esp as I've either broken or ignored a lot of what I was taught in their business school...) www.aru.ac.uk/graduation-a... (page 36)
aru.ac.uk
Alumni Magazine - ARU
Download previous editions of Connect magazine, for the alumni and friends community at Anglia Ruskin University.
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Capucine @capucinep.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
May 25th is "Towel Day" in celebration of Douglas Adams, author of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" #TowelDay #HitchhikersGuide #HitchhikersDay #DouglasAdams #42 #42IsTheAnswer #DontPanic #ArthurDent #FordPrefect #ZaphodBeeblebrox
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
I'm proud to be part of this years' official UK Small Business Week: 1st - 7th June. Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, so during Small Business Week, please try to shop small, shop local and support independents. #SmallBusinessWeek entrepreneurscircle.org/sbw//
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
I may not be based in Scotland, but that doesn't mean I can't stand with @evalsupscot.bsky.social in supporting #SelfEvaluationWeek - and share my latest self-impact report, which includes how I've approached what my total impact over the last 20 years has been! drive.google.com/file/d/1JcCF...
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Christmas cards, Disco balls, and Doctor Who - are probably 3 things you wouldn't expect to read about in a book reflecting on making it to the 20th anniversary of an accidental business... But then, you probably wouldn't expect to see a toilet on the cover, either? amzn.eu/d/0eoMWhTB
amzn.eu
Flushed!: The first 20 years - a view from the b(l)og : Ashton, Adrian: Amazon.co.uk: Books
Flushed!: The first 20 years - a view from the b(l)og : Ashton, Adrian: Amazon.co.uk: Books
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Carers UK @carers-uk.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Our new report, ‘The Tipping Point’, found that 47% of unpaid carers were considering reducing their working hours or giving up work entirely. With reliable social care and better workplace support, that can change. Read our full report bit.pulse.ly/id202pkvyz
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Turns out that size may not be that important after all, if you're trying to make the world a better place for everyone. - reflecting on the 20th annual report just published on my business: thirdsectorexpert.blogspot.com/2026/05/afte...
thirdsectorexpert.blogspot.com
After 20 years its time to report less impact
I've always been an advocate of social impact reporting, ever since I first stumbled across its concepts in the 1990s. This has meant that o...
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Adrian Ashton @adrianashton2.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
I was taken by surprise in a recent networking group for freelancers, when someone openly shared (unprompted) how useful they'd found my book about imposter syndrome (and without knowing I was also in the room with them!). amzn.eu/d/04SN6b0h
amzn.eu
Loving your doubt: Why everything we think we understand and know about Imposter Syndrome is (probably) wrong
Buy Loving your doubt: Why everything we think we understand and know about Imposter Syndrome is (probably) wrong by Ashton, Adrian (ISBN: 9798431905407) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
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