VarnFest

VarnFest is back on 11th June 2025

Share, Learn and Grow with business owners & directors

Sharing personal stories, mistakes, successes and leadership lessons so you can see the wood for the trees.

The purpose of VarnFest is to get business owners and leaders together in our unique outdoor woodland office setting in Wiltshire, listening and learning from others who have fascinating leadership stories to share.

The idea for VarnFest came from our team at Varn to help connect business leaders and thinkers in the South West, sharing personal stories to inspire and challenge leadership thinking.

Varn’s business focus is fantastic SEO results for our clients and we know we can get websites to rank well. However, we also know there is much more to business than search engine marketing. That’s why we wanted to host VarnFest – a festival of business sharing the journey and path travelled to success – whatever success means to you

A woodland business festival surrounded by nature

Our inspirational speaker line-up for VarnFest 2025

🌿 Share, Learn & Grow with Business Leaders & Directors 🌿

Join us on June 11th, 2025, for a day of honest conversations, real leadership lessons, and insights from business founders, directors and industry experts. In the unique and inspiring setting of our woodland office, our speakers will share their personal journeys, biggest challenges and strategies to help you grow as a leader.

Meet Our Speakers:

🎤 Sophie Milliken MBE – CEO at Moja, Author & Speaker
How having a personal brand makes more sales – through hearing Sophie’s own journey, interactive discussions, and practical examples, learn the steps to create an authentic personal brand that resonates with your target audience and attracts opportunities.

🎤 Nick Mailer – Founder & Director of The Positive Internet Company
We’re Good. Unlike most of the industry – A founders story with a refreshingly honest look at building a values-led business that defies industry norms.

🎤 Dan Collins – Business Owner, Author, Facilitator of adventurous conversations
Why team building doesn’t work – Challenging conventional thinking and offering a smarter approach to building high-performing teams.

🎤 Fiona Colliver – Co Founder (HR) at Link Stone Advisory
HR Unlocked: People, culture & your biggest questions – Straight-talking insights on people and culture, tackling the HR topics that matter most.

🎤 Tom Vaughton – Founder & CEO at Varn and Varn Health
Lead, don’t rescue: Creating the team to achieve your goals – How to step back, empower your team, and lead with impact.

Being a good leader requires dedication, hard work and self discovery. VarnFest was born out of a vision to share stories that will help others learn to be the best leader they can be and help their business grow.

At Varn our business focus is fantastic SEO and search marketing results for our clients and we know we can get websites to rank well. However, we also know there is much more to business than search engine marketing. That’s why we wanted to create VarnFest a festival of business, sharing the journey and path travelled to success, whatever success means to you.

At VarnFest business people and thinkers share their stories with honest talks about what they wish someone had told them when running their business, their biggest mistakes and challenges as leaders and what lessons they have learned over the years.

“Thank you for so much wisdom and insight…I’m still buzzing. VarnFest was relaxed and great fun with open and honest conversations. It was about sharing of ideas and knowledge, with loads of lessons to take away and implement, plus great company and an incredible location.”

Victoria Humphries, Adventurer, Resilience Trainer and Business Owner

Who is VarnFest for?

VarnFest is for you if you’re a business owner, director, entrepreneur or founders and you’re keen to listen and learn what may have gone right and wrong for others in these leadership roles. Hear what other leaders would do differently and take away ideas to use in your own business to develop personally and professionally.

Take a look at some of our previous VarnFest talks…

“I loved the day…thought it was exceptional. I loved the holistic nature of the speakers…what they had to say applied to us all. I loved how relaxed and informal it all was and how Varn welcomed us as guests into their community space.” 

Dan Fallon, Founder, Entrepreneur and Board Advisor