IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH THE LONELY TOMATO

  

Business advisors, board whisperers, and all-round champions for women in business, Martine Catton and Sarah Radley are the powerhouse duo behind The Lonely Tomato - a name that’s as memorable as the mission behind it.

Between them, they’ve spent decades in the finance industry, leading teams, scaling companies, and navigating boardrooms that weren’t always built with women in mind. Both have known the highs of success and the gut-wrenching lows of toxic leadership and burnout; experiences that became the catalyst for something entirely different: a business built on empathy, straight-talking strategy, and the kind of grounded guidance they wish they’d had along the way.

Today, The Lonely Tomato stands shoulder to shoulder with founders, CEOs, and leadership teams who are brave enough to look at what’s really going on in their businesses. Martine and Sarah are not your average advisors. They roll up their sleeves, ask the hard questions, and hold the mirror steady while you figure out what needs to change and how to do it without losing yourself in the process.

Their work is a masterclass in calm, commercial sense, and compassion. Together, they’re redefining what strong leadership looks like, proving that business can be both smart and human, and that sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is simply admit you need a hand.

Let’s start at the beginning — what’s your story? How did two women with incredible but very different career paths end up creating The Lonely Tomato together?

 

Sarah (S): Fate, Karma, good timing – I’m not really sure what you can call it, maybe a bit of all 3 brought us together.  We have been in the same industry for decades and ‘knew of’ each other but didn’t actually know each other – in some ways you might think that's strange given that there are very few female MD’s/CEO’s in this industry – but there was something about the fact that being a woman in this kind of role meant that in some way we had to ‘ignore’ the fact that we are women to make it in a man’s world.  As always, that female EQ came through – I saw something online and I instinctively wanted to reach out to Martine, having been through something very similar just to say, ‘Hi, just seen the news, if you ever need to talk you know where I am’. We spoke the very next day and found so much alignment, and the rest is history! 

Martine (M): Well, it started with a conversation followed by a very long lunch! Sarah had reached out to me and within an hour we realised we were cut from the same cloth but stitched together differently. We had both led businesses, faced tough chapters and been the shoulders that carried the load.

What connected us wasn’t just ambition, it was purpose. We wanted to create a business that bridged the gap between strategy and empathy. Somewhere founders could have the conversations we wish we had both had, honest, practical and importantly, judgement free.

The Lonely Tomato was born from our shared belief that founders don’t need to be lonely and that real progress happens when experience meets understanding.

 

You describe The Lonely Tomato as standing shoulder to shoulder with business owners—not consulting from a distance. What does that look like in real life?

 

S: For me, the easiest way to describe this is about being both an advocate and a critical friend whilst not being afraid to hold up a mirror and challenge mindsets. The key to enabling founders to embrace and solve problems is often just giving them a safe space to do it; after all, you don’t know what you don’t know!  Then we work through the solutions together – getting stuck in and rolling up our sleeves! 

M: It means we roll our sleeves up. We don’t sit on the sidelines producing 50-page strategy decks that gather dust; we’re in the thick of it with our clients. That might mean helping rewrite a business plan at 10pm or jumping on a call when everything feels like it’s falling apart. We’ve both run businesses, so we know how lonely and how messy it can be. Standing shoulder to shoulder means we walk alongside founders; we aren’t above them. We help them make better decisions, faster, whilst knowing they have someone in their corner who genuinely gets it.

 

You’ve both been through some really tough chapters in business. What did those experiences teach you about leadership, resilience, and self-worth?

 

S: Leadership is lonely – the buck stops with you, and when you have your team relying on you to make the right decisions, the load can feel heavy – too heavy at times. It’s ok to say, I need help, I don’t know how to do this – reaching out for help literally saved me.  

Ahh, resilience, my old friend… my experience is that we are far more resilient than we think. As female founders, we have already overcome obstacles that male founders have never faced when starting our businesses.  We are programmed in this country to believe that failure is bad, but it’s only when we fail that we truly realise what we are capable of.

To quote part of one of my favourite sayings from the great Pooh bear; 

You are BRAVER than you believe.
STRONGER than you seem
And, SMARTER than you think

M: They taught me that leadership isn’t about being unbreakable, it’s about being able to hold your nerve when everything around you is falling apart. I’ve been through periods where the pressure was immense, and every decision carried weight. You learn who you are when you’re the one responsible for paying wages, protecting jobs, and standing firm when confidence has vanished.

Strangely, resilience isn’t loud. It’s found in the quiet, it’s in the relentless consistency of getting up, showing up, even when you could easily walk away. These experiences taught me that self-worth can’t be tied to a title, a valuation, or a business.

Real leadership is about staying calm in the chaos, making tough calls with integrity, and still finding a little space for humour when it gets too much.

 

You’ve likened what you do to “business therapy.” What are the common challenges founders bring to you, and what tends to surprise them about working with you?

 

S: Trying to do everything themselves, because that is what women are supposed to do right? Aside from that, the most common challenges I see are around cash flow, financial strategy, and growth.

I’m not sure "surprise" is the right word; it’s more about the relief they feel when they're seen and listened to, which brings clarity to a challenge that might have felt insurmountable to them.  

M: Most founders come to us thinking they have a finance or strategy problem, and often that is where we start, but sometimes, it’s a confidence problem. They’re stuck in decision fatigue, firefighting, or overthinking. We look under the bonnet, help them understand their numbers, patterns and blind spots, and help them rediscover clarity. What surprises them most is that we also get to the heart of what’s keeping them up at night. We laugh a lot too. Therapy, but with spreadsheets.

 

Loneliness came up a lot in our chat. From your perspective, how does isolation affect founders, especially women, and what can we do to build better, braver networks?

 

S: When we are on our own, we often only have our own thoughts feeding our decision-making because we have to have all the answers….  Isolation can lead to bad business decisions, stagnation, and poor mental health.

Try to find time in your schedule to spend some meaningful networking time, whether that is 1-2-1 meetings or part of a networking event – don’t just do female-only events.

Many founders feel used rather than supported. A better network is one where giving and receiving are balanced, where members freely offer expertise, introductions, or empathy, trusting that the value circulates back. 

I approach all networking with one mindset – how can I help, and who or what would be useful for you to be introduced to?

M: Isolation quietly kills momentum. When you’ve built a business from scratch, you’re often the one holding everyone else up. For women, especially, there’s an added pressure to appear composed and capable 24/7. The antidote isn’t more networking; it’s real connection. Spaces where you can say, “I’m struggling,” without being judged. The more honest our conversations are, the braver and more connected we all become.

 

With your backgrounds in finance, you’ve seen firsthand where businesses trip up. What are the biggest money blind spots you see for women in business, and how can they get ahead of them?

 

M: So many brilliant women underprice themselves, not because they don’t know their worth, but because they feel they must “earn” the right to charge properly. I’d say: know your numbers, understand your margins, and don’t apologise for being profitable. Money isn’t a dirty word; it’s the oxygen your business needs to grow. Build cash buffers, forecast properly, and don’t hand over control of your finances just because it feels uncomfortable. Be curious, not fearful.

 

You’ve both said failure is essential - that it’s not the end, it’s information. What’s been a failure that taught you something invaluable?

 

S: Easy one for me – I ignored my gut instinct and took on an investor that turned out to be a hugely bad judgement call on my part – promised me the earth and delivered hell – it changed the course of my life and for a time, I thought it was a terminal choice but with help I recognised that it was an opportunity to learn.

I am not advocating that we only listen to our gut instinct, we should always weigh up the pros and cons of every situation – but if your gut is screaming ‘watch out’ then pay heed to it.

M: I’ve always been a fixer, the person who steps in when things go wrong. At one point, I took on a role where that instinct went too far. I was so determined to solve everything, the business problems, the people problems, just everything! 

That experience taught me a hard and vital lesson: you can’t save a business by sacrificing yourself. Leadership isn’t about absorbing every blow; it’s about knowing which ones are yours to take and which belong to others. I learned that protecting you and your boundaries isn’t selfish, it allows you to lead with clarity and compassion. 

 

How do you handle criticism?

 

S: Welcome, darkness, my old friend…. I used to be terrible at handling criticism – I would get defensive in a nanosecond and make emotional decisions.  It took a little while and some practice, but I now make an effort to embrace it – take a moment to quieten down my inner child and really listen to their point of view – I don’t always agree, but at least my emotion isn’t stopping me from missing some potentially important feedback.

M: With perspective and sometimes with wine!

I try to separate what’s constructive from what’s just noise. If someone I respect gives me feedback, I’ll take it and improve. If it’s coming from a place of envy or misunderstanding, I let it go. 

 

You work so closely together—how would you describe each other in 3 words? (No pressure!)

 

S: This is a really tough question, you are being mean, only giving me 3 words ….
Loyal
Credible
Strong

M: Too hard!!!
Empathetic
Strong
Unflappable

 

Social media has created this culture of perfection—the glossy, polished highlight reel. What’s your take on how founders can stay grounded and authentic when everyone seems to be “smashing it”?

 

S: One of our favourite sayings: ‘It’s all noise and peacocks’ Comparing yourself is the fastest way to lose traction; the algorithms are built to reward noise. Often, real progress happens quietly.

Use social media in your business, but don’t become defined by it.

M: Don’t devalue your achievements by comparing them to someone else’s social media feed. So much of what you see online is smoke and mirrors. It’s easy to feel like you’re failing, but some people are just better at curating a persona than being comfortable in their own skin.

The truth is, you are already good enough. Authenticity might not give you instant applause, but it builds real trust, and trust compounds. I also believe that vulnerability is not a weakness, it’s connection. When you are human, you give everyone else around you permission to do the same. That’s not a highlight reel, it’s just real.

 

You’ve both talked about helping clients ‘squeeze more from what they already have.’ Can you share an example of a small shift that’s had a big impact?

 

M: I’m a big believer in the “aggregation of marginal gains”. Growth often comes from refining what already exists rather than reinventing the wheel. We recently worked with a client on their growth strategy. They had a large, loyal customer base using a product that was very labour-intensive. There was a perfect opportunity right in front of them: a complementary product that met the same customers’ needs, required no extra resources, and could be launched immediately.

We helped them reposition and rolled it out to their existing clients, no new marketing spend, no recruitment, no origination required, and no risk. Today 42% of their existing clients use both products. We just squeezed more out of what they already had.  

It’s not always about doing more; it’s about doing what you already do, just better. When you refine what’s working, rather than rebuilding, you can find compounding progress everywhere.

 

What do you know for sure?

 

S: that our lives are finite and that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west – everything else is malleable.

M: The only person who can make you feel inadequate is you. Confidence is built, not bought. What doesn’t kill you doesn’t just make you stronger, it makes you wiser.

 

If you could share a cocktail (or a cuppa!) with anyone alive or no longer with us, who would it be and what would you ask them?

 

S: Elizabeth the I – what a woman – she was smashing it in a man’s world 400 years ago!  I would ask her how she managed the battle between being a woman and all the expectations that came with that at the time, and being the ‘boss’ – did she even see herself as a woman?

M: Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A quietly strong woman who changed the world. She was famous for her action on gender equality and civil rights and earned her reputation as a quiet revolutionary. She was prepared, principled, and relentlessly consistent.

I’d love to ask her how she retained the courage of her convictions when everyone around her disagreed, including a large percentage of her country. It's fair to say her patience must have been tested when the progress she fought for was so painfully slow. How did she manage that, and of course, looking back, what of her many achievements is she most proud of?

 

What songs would you like me to add to our CEO Radio playlist for you?

 

S: So, I have a couple of favourites:
Silence by Delirium ft. Sarah McLachlan – takes me back to my youth….
Hold On by Wilson Phillips – these lyrics are everything – inspirational both personally and in business

M: Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine and Good As Hell – Lizzo. There are about 1000 more I could add!

 

 

If your journey so far was a movie, who would play you both?

 

S: Probably predictable but definitely Kate Winslet – she is a powerhouse and takes no prisoners!!

M: Mariska Hargitay from Law and Order, for those who don’t know her. She is tenacious and determined with just the right amount of empathy.

 

What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself since launching The Lonely Tomato that surprised you?

 

S: That I am fully comfortable with being unapologetically me!

M: I’ve finally learned that “no” is a sentence all on its own. It doesn’t need justifying or softening. Boundaries don’t make you less kind; they make you more effective. Saying no isn’t rejection, it’s clarity.

   

What's one thing you’re currently obsessed with that has nothing to do with business? 

 

S: My studies, I am just over halfway through a part-time OU degree in Forensic Psychology, and I love it!!! 

Being cheeky, can I have two……

I am also a trustee on two female-based charities – West Mercia Women’s Aid, supporting survivors and their children who are victims of domestic abuse, and The Motherless Mothers, a charity that helps women navigate life as a mother with no mother figure in their life. 

I love what I do for these amazing charities!

M: Can I have two – one current obsession and one I want to become an obsession!

I am currently obsessed with finishing our house. I thought we were buying a do-er upper —how wrong I was. It’s a major project, and we are on first-name terms with the plasterer, the roofer, the joiner…

I want my second obsession to be cold water swimming. I’m just building up the courage!

 

And finally — what’s next for The Lonely Tomato? 

 

S: We have a few new business ideas in the pipeline, so watch this space ….  

M: The next phase is about scale through structure by creating a framework that helps founders grow with clarity, confidence, and control. We’re formalising an advisory programme that delivers defined growth pathways combining strategic finance, operational rigour, and leadership development, because sustainable success isn’t built on inspiration.

We’re also deepening partnerships with funders and intermediaries to close the gap between strategy and access to capital. The goal isn’t just to help businesses survive a tough market; it’s to make them operationally strong and genuinely valuable.

The Lonely Tomato will always stand shoulder to shoulder with business owners, but now we’re building the infrastructure to help the many, not the few.

  

If you want to know more about The Lonely Tomato, check out the website at  https://lonely-tomato.com/