Wise Women
The Salt & Sage mentorship for female founders.
Applications for spring 2026 are now closed. We’ll be announcing details of our autumn intake in August.
Trade the marketing BS for an editorial edge.
AI-aware content strategy and boldly visible storytelling for women-led brands.
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The Salt & Sage Wise Women Mentorship is an editorial sponsorship founded by former journalists Manfreda Cavazza and Felicity Haythorn. Designed for solo female founders (trading under five years), the programme replaces generic marketing fluff with high-quality, journalistic brand copy.
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The 2026 intake includes professional 1:1 messaging strategy, done-for-you copy or content and answer engine optimisation (AEO) training to help you stay visible in an AI-driven search landscape.
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This programme is specifically designed for solo female entrepreneurs and female-led small businesses in the health, lifestyle, travel, sustainability and coastal sectors.
Ideal candidates are founders who have been trading for less than five years and require professional assistance in refining their brand voice, improving website conversion or developing an authentic content strategy that bypasses AI-generated noise.
This sponsorship is suited for those seeking high-level editorial expertise from a storytelling agency rather than traditional marketing coaching.
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06 March – Submission deadline.
14 March – One Wise Woman announced.
17-28 March – Planning, research and strategy calls.
30 April – Final copy delivered.
The messy reality of marketing your biz in 2026
You’ve built a brilliant business. But lately, your content feels … a bit like everyone else’s. In 2026, the internet is louder than ever. Between the AI-generated drivel and the pressure to follow every algorithm-prescribed trend, it’s easy to lose the very thing that makes your brand work: YOU.
The power of two (or many!)
Before Salt & Sage was born, we were two solo freelancers, trying to make it work. It was hard: lonely, confusing, frustrating. We know what it’s like to run a small business while spinning all the plates. When we teamed up, everything changed. We quickly realised how much more fun, creative and powerful it is when women collaborate. We launched the Wise Women mentorship to pay that feeling forward, sharing our 40+ years of combined experience to support one solo female founder who is ready to find her voice.
How it works
Twice a year (in the spring and autumn), we sponsor one female founder ready to move beyond the generic. This isn’t a series of passive workshops. Instead, you get a six-week editorial immersion. We’re here to help you own your narrative and build a brand that demands attention.
What’s in it for you
A 1:1 messaging strategy deep dive
We define your voice, sharpen your ‘salty’ edge, and map the transformation you deliver — so your brand cuts through AI noise, stands out online, and converts your ideal audience into loyal clients.
Future-proofing
Most marketers are still playing by 2020’s rules. We aren’t. As part of your mentorship, we’ll run a dedicated strategy session on mastering AEO (answer engine optimisation), GEO (generative engine optimisation), and SSO (social search optimisation). We’ll show you how to be the answer humans and machines are looking for.
Done-for-you copy
Choose one: a Home page, an About page or a story-led editorial blog written in your unique voice (with all the meta data you need to get you found by search engines, social media search and AI agents).
Friends for life!
Once the six weeks are over, we’re your allies for life. You’ll have a direct line to us for future support and professional guidance whenever your brand needs a ‘salty’ perspective. You’ll also have 20% off all S&S services until the end of 2026.
Applications for the S&S Wise Women spring 2026 intake are now closed.
We want to grow this community of like-minded women.
If you know a founder who wants to go against the grain but doesn’t know how to get there, forward this to them. If they apply and mention your name in their application, we’ll send you both a 26% discount code for all the brilliant resources in our shop, The Pantry.
Think of it as a brand boot camp
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Think of it as a brand boot camp *
To get the results, you need to be ready to do the work.
The criteria
Solo ventures only: this is for independent women running the show alone.
The five-year rule: your business must be under five years old.
The commitment: the spring 2026 mentorship runs 14 March-30 April. It is intensive and requires your focus.
This is for you if
You’re tired of the ‘rinse and repeat’ marketing advice.
You want your brand to sound like a human, not an AI prompt.
You’re ready to be challenged by two former journalists who value substance over volume.
The key dates
06 March – Submission deadline.
14 March – One Wise Woman announced.
17-28 March – Planning, research and strategy calls.
30 April – Final copy delivered.
What people say about Salt & Sage Storytelling
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Thank you thank you thank you. It's totally beyond any expectations I had. I am in love. Reading through it I was struck by just how much work and thought has gone into this. And how beautifully you have captured what I do and the transformation I facilitate. There are so many punchy, bold phrases in there too – just flipping brilliant.
Grace Chinn, founder, Grace Chinn Breathwork
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The blog is so wonderfully written and feels authentic.
Danielle Windsor, founder, Yaitte
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As a business owner, constantly juggling work and family, my to-do list is always overwhelming, so putting time aside to think about my brand’s voice felt like something I would never get around to doing. But the consultancy with Salt & Sage was a game-changer. Manfreda and Felicity truly understood my vision and translated it into clear, compelling messaging. Having two expert eyes on my business was a dream and I now feel confident and empowered to connect with my audience authentically.
Barbara Gill, founder, Barbara Gill Marketing
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HOW WE WORK
Discover how we find your core story, strip away the marketing BS and shape a message that’s clear, authentic and impossible to ignore.
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ABOUT US
Meet Freddie and Flea, the wise wordsmiths behind Salt & Sage and discover why we love supporting purpose-led brands to level up their copy.
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LATEST BLOG
Check out our blog page, packed with insights and musings about the written word. Curiosity is key.
