Growing a Creative Business Without Losing Your Values with Annie Kenyon

In this episode of Scale Her Up, I’m joined by Annie Kenyon, founder of Annie Kenyon Architects.

Annie shares the story behind building her architectural practice over the last 20 years, growing it from a sole practitioner business into a respected studio known for creativity, honesty and beautiful design.

We talk about what it means to grow a business without losing sight of your values, why being selective about the work you take on matters, and how Annie has balanced entrepreneurship, leadership, motherhood and creativity along the way.

This is an honest and thoughtful conversation about building a business that reflects who you are, surrounding yourself with the right people, and making sure success is defined on your own terms.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Annie started her business and why she came back to Aberdeenshire
• Her journey into architecture and the alternative route she took into university
• Why values have shaped every stage of the business
• The importance of saying no to the wrong work
• Building a team around creativity, trust and shared standards
• The reality of juggling business ownership and raising four children
• Why systems, support and coaching matter
• The challenges of cash flow, growth and leading a creative business
• What Annie has learned in 20 years of entrepreneurship
• Why women in business need to define success for themselves

Memorable moments from this episode:

• Why Annie said no to a project early on, even when she needed the work
• Her reflections on balancing creativity and the commercial side of business
• The role values play in building the right team
• Why support, coaching and mentors make such a difference
• “Be careful what you wish for”
• “If you’re not enjoying it, what’s the point?”