FoundHer FundHers: Sedge Beswick on Scaling Smart, Raising from Strength & Saying No With Confidence

Welcome back to FoundHer FundHers - a new strand of the STYLISA FoundHers platform, created to spotlight and support female founders navigating the funding landscape, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds.

Our mission is simple: Demystify capital. Champion confidence. Build bridges.

For the second feature in my FoundHer FundHers series, I interviewed a woman who knows what it means to scale smart. Sedge Beswick is a founder, exited entrepreneur, and investor who built SEEN Connects into a £24 million global agency. She’s worked with brands like Nike, LVMH, and Lululemon, but her advice isn’t just for the big players. Sedge speaks with clarity and candour about what it really takes to raise investment, scale sustainably, and build a business that aligns with your life, not just your LinkedIn. This one is full of sharp truths and unfiltered insights. You’ve been warned.

Sedge Beswick leads with clarity, courage, and zero fluff and is the latest feature in FoundHer FundHers.

Let’s go back to the beginning. You were ASOS’s first social hire at a time when social media was barely on the radar. What drew you into that space so early, and how did it shape how you saw the future of branding and business?

I actually fell into it! Long story short, my first social role was at Three UK, where I'd won a job after a competition where I grew a Facebook page to 8,000 followers in five days. The prize was an £25k party, which I just missed out on, but Three UK must have been impressed as they offered me a job instead. From there I moved to ASOS. I was incredibly early in the social game, and there were no experts to learn from, so it was all "roll your sleeves up and get stuck in.” That became my motto and gave me a no-nonsense approach that still holds true today.

You went on to build SEEN Connects into a £24M global agency. That’s huge. What were some of the pivotal decisions or defining moments, that helped you scale while staying sharp and true to your values?

For me, scaling was always about the clients, not just the money. I was a broken record saying, 'It’s easier to grow from an existing client than it is to win a new one.'. Winning new clients, especially the big ones, took time; my first million-pound-plus client took 18 months to convert. Understanding their needs on a brand and personal level was crucial, which we’d typically done through building relationships.

I’ll be the first to say I didn’t get everything right as we scaled. We had such strong values and a team that embodied them at the beginning, but with fast growth came more problems. We needed people and we needed them fast. Our processes needed revamping, but there was always a billable client who needed something. The idea behind our private equity process was to allow us to scale more effectively across multiple markets, and to let me take some money off the table to derisk.

You’ve raised investment, exited, and now you advise, invest, and consult. What’s one thing you wish more women knew about money and growth, in particular those still thinking small because the system wasn’t designed with them in mind?

The system absolutely wasn’t designed for us! That's why it's crucial to make sure you have a seat at the table. My advice? Build your network relentlessly. Speak to everyone you can about what you're doing, find people you trust and get the right feedback. When I got my first investor, we met over a coffee and he didn't even know what I was selling! But, he believed in my passion and gave us an office space for the first year. That's priceless. If you're passionate, you'll have success. If you're just chasing a payday, it'll be significantly harder.

Many of the women I speak to, many of whom are self-funded, have no idea where to even begin when it comes to getting financial backing. What would your roadmap look like for someone just starting out? What are the first three things you’d tell them to focus on?

My journey was different. My first investor gave me an office and salary for a year, and we were profitable from the get-go. But cash flow was still a massive issue, 70% of our funds on average went immediately out the door to pay talent. When I went through the private equity process, I learned there's a whole new vocabulary and experienced a hell of a lot of dick swinging too. Knowing what I know now, my roadmap would look more like this:

1. Raise from a position of strength: That means building traction before you go looking for money.

2. Get your proposition and unit economics razor sharp: It’s a different game selling your business to investors than it is to clients.

3. Kiss a lot of frogs: Speak to everyone, look for someone who gets you and your business, and prioritise smart money. I.E. an investor who provides more than just cash… I use the same logic here when hiring too!

You’ve worked with Nike, LVMH, eBay, Lululemon, but also with emerging talent and early-stage founders. How do you stay grounded, and how do you decide where to lend your time, influence and investment?

I definitely take on too much and feel overwhelmed, especially since having kids. My time and priorities changed when I became a mum. My aim was to be present and available for my girls first and foremost, while still building a career because I love working. I love what I do and let’s be honest, I still need to work. Running the business I founded wouldn’t have worked with that goal, as it was a 24/7 gig. The time I have is now very intentional. I still have a revenue target to achieve but I keep Mondays and Fridays for my kids. I try to focus on supporting business founders, especially females, because of my own brutal experience during a failed private equity deal when I was pregnant. I also invest in businesses that genuinely excite me, and wherever possible I try to support female founders. I try to keep things focused on the fact that everything I do has to benefit my children in one way or another whether that’s a long-term or immediate win.

You’re a mother, mentor, strategist and investor, and it sounds like you move through those roles with both clarity and care. What systems or boundaries have helped you protect your energy while showing up powerfully in each space?

When I had my kids and left the business, I gave myself some time for a system reset, to sit back and take stock. This allowed me to really focus on what was important to me, what my values are now as a mum, and at work. My priority is my home life which was new for me. I set aside specific days for my kids and I’ve been very clear about that boundary. This lets me show up powerfully in my roles while also being present for my family.

Confidence doesn’t always come easy, especially when you’re pitching, hiring, growing or exiting. Were there moments where you doubted yourself, and how did you move through them?

I doubt myself every single day! But that doubt is what pushes me out of my comfort zone. When it comes to pitching or growing, I know my space inside out, so confidence isn't a problem. But the first time on TV, I was bricking it. The first time meeting private equity firms, the first time speaking on a stage. There should always be many firsts. But once you've done them, you've done them. The prep and research are hugely important for me. I'd be worried if I didn't doubt myself.

Your style is clear: no fluff, no jargon, just results. That’s rare in an ecosystem that can often be heavy on optics but light on substance. What’s your advice for cutting through the noise for founders trying to get seen and funded?

My approach is simple: don't gatekeep. We all get too caught up in trying to sound like the smartest person in the room, but we're all just humans. My rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t say it to your mate in a pub, don’t say it in an investment meeting or on LinkedIn. People buy from people. Going through the private equity process, I was surrounded by so much jargon and unnecessary noise. I swore I wouldn’t be that person, and that I would break things down and help people, not intimidate them.

With NXTLVL, you’ve created a space for career growth, mentorship and reinvention. Why was that important to you and what still needs to change in the professional world for women to thrive without compromise?

I've always tried to support others. I realised how big the need was when a TikTok I posted offering to look at CVs got over 1,000 requests in 24 hours. The education system is outdated, but we're the most connected generation. Education needs a major rethink. Progression isn't progressing, and remote work makes it harder for people to get career development. We need to shift from stagnant delivery to accessible and forward-thinking learning. NX TLVL brings people together through events, peer networks and mentoring, making work human again.

You often talk about scaling smarter, not messier, which is such a powerful mindset shift. What does ‘scaling smart’ actually look like in practice, and where do you think most founders get it wrong?

I got it wrong by not bringing in senior personnel sooner for operations, finance and HR. As a service-led business, I was too focused on clients and revenue. But as we grew, I needed to free myself up to do more of what I was good at, which was building relationships, influencer marketing and growth. Founders also get it wrong by not showing the business can run without them. You need to work on your business, not just in it.

Visibility still matters, especially for women. As someone regularly featured across the media and on big stages, what has visibility done for your business journey? And what would you say to women who are hesitant about putting themselves out there?

Visibility has done everything for me. It brings trust and credibility. It also meant I understood more businesses and brands’ problems and could react to them. I would ask women who are hesitant why? Is it confidence? Is it time? There are different answers to each one.

If you could share three things you’d want every female founder to keep in mind, whether they’re just starting out or scaling for investment, what would they be?

1. Build your network relentlessly: Speak to everyone about what you're doing and what makes it special.

2. Make sure you have a seat at the table: Get the right feedback and input from people you trust.

3. Raise from a position of strength: Building traction before you raise gives you greater confidence to say no as well as yes.

A massive thank you to Sedge Beswick, for agreeing to be one of the early FoundHer FundHers interviewees, and becoming a part of the STYLISA FoundHers community. If you’re interested in finding out more about her work:

Connect with Sedge on LinkedIn

Follow Sedge on Instagram

Follow Sedge on TikTok

Discover NXT LVL