Bestie & The Boss
This is the place where bridal meets banter, business, and a whole lot of fun, with no room for fluff.
Join hosts Shannon Martin – entrepreneur, owner of Dotty Bridal, and former Apprentice star – and Emma Pollard, the lively hostess and comedy queen who brings the laughs. Emma’s often the first face brides see at Dotty Bridal (also often in the starring role on Instagram posts). Her infectious humour (and flair for drama!) make her the heart of the boutique.
Together, Shannon and Emma serve up a weekly dose of bridal gossip, no-nonsense advice, and plenty of cheeky stories. Whether you’re navigating wedding planning or just here for the giggles, they’ve got you covered with real talk, relatable tips, and a touch of sass.
It’s the perfect blend of bridal insights and best mate banter – with Emma’s comedic flair and Shannon’s straight-talking business sense, you'll be laughing and learning all the way to the aisle (you may have already had a sneak preview 'chuckle' from of our regular Instagram posts!)
Tune in each week for your backstage pass into the bridal world with your favourite bridal besties.
Follow us on Instagram: @bestieandtheboss
Quick note: Our episodes are manually transcribed by real humans (no robots here!), so if something sounds a bit wonky, blame it on human error – or maybe just Emma’s accent!
Episodes
24 episodes
S3, Ep 5: Creativity, Confidence & Catch-Ups with Radio Star Rosie Madison
This week, Shannon and Emma are joined by their long-time friend and all-round creative powerhouse Rosie Madison - Radio 1 DJ, artist, and founder of Harrogate House. 🎨🎧In this fun and feel-good episode, the girls chat...
S3, Ep 4: PR, Personal Branding & The Power of Connection with Alex Mason
This week on Bestie and The Boss, Shannon and Emma sit down with their long-time friend and PR powerhouse Alex Mason - founder of Alex D Mason PR and the creative force behind The FIL Club, a networking commun...
S3, Ep 3: Brides, Body Confidence & The Weight-Loss Injection Trend
In this episode, Shannon and Emma dive into one of the biggest conversations in bridal right now - the rise of weight-loss injections like Mounjaro and how they’re impacting brides-to-be, body confidence, and the entire dress shopping journey. ...
S3, Ep 2: Finding ‘The One’ with Bridal Icon Hayley Paige
This week, Shannon and Emma sit down with the incredible Hayley Paige to talk all things bridal — from finding your dream dress to discovering your true self along the way. Expect laughter, inspiration, and that signature Hayley sparkle ...
S3, Ep 1: "Welcome to the Empire" - Dotty has moved!
Shannon Martin gets candid about Dotty Bridal’s exciting move to Wakefield — the highs, lows, and hard truths of growing a small boutique into a full-blown bridal empire. Expect laughs, lessons, and plenty of behind-the-scenes drama from the wo...
S2, Ep 9: How can you be friends with your competition?!
Join Emma and Shannon as they chat to fellow bridal shop owner Emily. Emily owns Emily Bridal in Sheffield, and let's us behind the curtain in how she met Shannon, and how Emily Bridal and Dotty are healthy competition!
S2, Ep 8: Jamie Doddy, the social wedding content creator
Join Emma and Shannon as they chat with Social wedding content creator, Jamie Doddy. They dive into what a social content creator can do at your wedding, why it's better than having your bridesmaid do it, and what Jamie loves most ...
S2, Ep 7: Bridal SOS! What went wrong on your wedding day?
Join besties Emma and Shannon as they chat about what's gone wrong on people's wedding days and reading out all of your bridal SOS stories! P.s Coco, Shannon's dog makes an appearance!
S2, Ep 6: Jordan from the Woodman
On today's episode, besites Emma and Shannon chat to General Manager of the Woodman in Huddersfield, Jordan Thomas Lee. They ask all the important questions; like what time the bar shuts at the venue, where you can get wedding read...
S2, Ep 5: Hayley, what's it like to work at Dotty?
Want to hear about what it's like to work at Dotty Bridal? Join Shannon and Emma as they quiz Dotty's Assistant Manager Hayley about what it's like being one of the faces of Dotty Bridal!Instagram: @dottybridalWeb: www....
S2, Ep 4: What is a sample dress?
Join Shannon and Emma this week, as they explain what a sample dress is, and how Peggy stores (the bridal outlet of Dotty) works. They chat about how sustainable it is to buy a sample gown, how they source for Peggy stores and thei...
S2 Ep 3: Is it ok to say no to being a bridesmaid?
Join Shannon and Emma today as they chat about whether it's ok to say no to being a bridesmaid or not. They chat bridesmaid spreadsheets, multiple hen dos, and whether bridesmaids should wear white! Instagram: @dottybr...
S2, Ep 2: Stress is not a bad thing
Join Shannon and Emma this week as they chat about Stress with guest Tabby Kerwin. They chat about stress in the work place, therapy and coaching and how important it is to offload to the right person! Instagram: @dottybridal
S2, Ep1: Have you survived the school holidays?
Join Shannon and Emma for Season 2 of Bestie and the Boss! Did Shannon and Emma survive the school holidays?! They chat about how they cope during the school holidays, how they don't actually do it all (who can?!), and how the k...
S1, Ep 10: Off The Peg aka PEGGY - Bridal done differently
In the final episode of series one, we discuss breaking the bridal mould and doing things differently!Off The Peg has always been my passion, and now I’m opening more stores and building my bridal outlet brand! Discover how...
S1, Ep 9: Let's talk business - Ask Shannon anything?
In this weeks episode Shannon answers all your burning questions about business! How it all began? Whats been our biggest challenge? How does she juggle being a mum and running her own business? And so many more questions …../Find D...
S1, Ep8: Chantelle, Let's chat boobs!
How big are your tits?! This week’s episode is all about boobs!!! Big ones, small ones and how to make them look good in any outfit and even a wedding dress! This week we had the priveledge of chatting to the amazing Chantelle who is an...
S1, Ep7: Me and my adult acne
It's only now looking back that I realise why I developed adult acne and I can't believe I never fully understood why this happened to me? I knew at the time that my acne was bad as I suffered so much with lack of confidence but I tried...
S1, Ep6: The Undercover Waiters
This weeks episode sees us chatting to our first ever podcast guest and boy have we started on a high!! With quite possibly the best guest EVER!! Welcome Michael from The Undercover Waiters. Michael talks to the girls all about who The ...
S1, Ep 5: You're getting married, the top 5 things you need to know!
Are you getting married? Ready to start planning? Here’s the top 5 questions that you need answering?! Hosts and Guests:Shannon: Co-host and advocate of "Off the Peg" wedding dresses.Emma:...
S1, Ep4: Shannon, how did this all happen?
Listen to Shannon chat about how she got into the bridal industry and why bridal? She talks about the reasons for the success of Dotty Bridal the brand and of course the elephant in the room! The Apprentice, find out the real reasons why she le...
S1, Ep3: Emma: I don’t need a man!!!!!!
Join me to interrogate Emma on what she’s looking for in a man even though she’s not really looking for a man!! Join hosts Shannon and Emma, as they chat about the love of all things bridal, besties, business and no bullshit. Fi...
