From solo founder
to growing team.
How Wild Isle Nature School worked with Digital Islands to build confidence, strengthen their marketing and make the leap from solo founder to growing team.
People in the team, up from just Elle at the start
Mindset shift from "I run a small business" to strategic leader
Month ever on the horizon as confidence and team grow
Wild Isle Nature School
Wild Isle Nature School is an Isle of Wight outdoor learning and wellbeing business founded by Elle Frankling, a trained primary school teacher who left the classroom to build something more closely aligned with her values and family life.
The business provides nature-inspired learning experiences for children, families and women, including home education sessions, holiday clubs, nature-based activities and wellbeing-focused outdoor experiences.
When Elle started working with Digital Islands, she was a little over a year into the business and managing everything alone.
Digital Islands
Wild Isle Nature School worked with Digital Islands through an Isle of Wight business growth programme, accessing mentoring, peer networks, workshops and specialist marketing guidance.
For Elle, the value came from the combination: practical workshops, a supportive peer group, one-to-one mentoring and expert input on brand, tone of voice and website development, all with Digital Islands’ involvement.
Elle explains why speaking with an advisor made a real difference.
Why external business support mattered
When you’re running a business alone, it’s easy to rely on friends and family for guidance. But encouragement isn’t the same as independent, business-focused advice.
Elle explains why having access to an advisor who could put the needs of the business first made such a difference during a difficult period in the early life of Wild Isle Nature School.
Making decisions with the business in mind
When Elle Frankling first started working with Digital Islands, Wild Isle Nature School was still young and founder-led. She was navigating difficult decisions during a demanding period, and facing the challenge that many small business owners recognise well.
Friends and family could offer encouragement, but Elle needed practical, independent guidance focused on what was right for Wild Isle as a business.
She also needed to move from doing the work to leading a growing organisation.
“I was able to speak with my advisor and actually get support that benefited the business.” Elle Frankling, Founder, Wild Isle Nature School
Elle talks about the mindset shift that changed how she leads.
Building the confidence to lead
One of the most significant changes for Elle wasn’t a tactic or a tool: it was a shift in how she saw herself. Moving from “I run a small business” to thinking and acting like a CEO opened up a different kind of decision-making.
Elle describes how the mentoring and peer network helped her step into that leadership role with confidence, and what that meant for the growth of the team.
Many independent businesses reach a point where confidence, clarity and structure become the biggest barriers to growth.
Digital Islands helps business owners strengthen their marketing, improve their systems and make better decisions about growth.
A joined-up package of advice, training and community
Through the programme, Elle had access to practical workshops, one-to-one mentoring, expert input and a peer group of other small business owners on the Island. Each element addressed a different need, and Digital Islands provided specialist marketing guidance.
Peer support
A small network of Island business owners facing similar challenges, with ongoing co-working and mutual accountability beyond the formal sessions.
Business mentoring
One-to-one guidance that supported difficult decisions and helped Elle move into a more strategic, CEO-oriented approach to leading her business.
Brand and marketing support
Specialist input on tone of voice, website development and building a clear marketing package that could be handed over and used consistently across the growing team.
Confidence to employ, delegate and grow
The biggest change for Elle was confidence: the confidence to employ other people, to make business-led decisions and to see herself not just as someone running a small business, but as the leader of a growing organisation.
That shift has led to tangible results. Wild Isle Nature School has grown from Elle working alone to a team of five, and the business is heading into what Elle expects to be its biggest month ever.
By building a clearer marketing foundation and growing the team, Elle has created more capacity to step back from day-to-day delivery and focus on leading the next stage of Wild Isle’s growth.
“It propelled me further into more the CEO mindset rather than ‘I just run a small business’.” Elle Frankling, Founder, Wild Isle Nature School
Elle describes the support as helping her move from a doing mindset to a leading mindset, thinking more strategically about the business and her role within it.
Wild Isle has grown from one person to a wider team of five, giving Elle more capacity to lead, develop the business and take on more demand.
Brand image, tone of voice and website work are helping create a clearer, more consistent marketing package that the team can use and build on.
The peer group has continued beyond the formal programme, creating a lasting local support network of Island business owners.
Elle Frankling on confidence, employment and growth.
“The support has been phenomenal.”
Elle would recommend this kind of guidance to other small business owners on the Island, whether they are just starting out or already a year or more into their journey.
The combination of structured mentoring, genuine peer connection and specialist input on the things that matter (brand, marketing, leadership) made a real difference to the business.
Wild Isle Nature School received support through an Isle of Wight business growth programme backed by Innovation Wight, Digital Islands, Isle of Wight Council and HM Government.
Could your business use the same kind of support?
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