About Bit Famous

Penny Haslam, MD and Founder

Penny Haslam is an award-winning motivational speaker, communication expert and former BBC business journalist who works with global organisations to drive engagement and growth through confident communication.

Career

During a two-decade broadcasting career, Penny worked as a personal finance and business journalist. She regularly presented national business news in the UK on BBC Breakfast and the BBC News Channel. She was also a producer and reporter for national networks BBC Radio 4 and 5 Live.

Today, she brings that experience to stages and organisations across the UK, working with leaders and teams in sectors including finance and banking, pharmaceuticals, tech, and the public sector.

MD and founder of Bit Famous

She is the co-founder and managing director of Bit Famous, a confidence and communication training and coaching business. Her work combines journalistic insight, behavioural understanding and real-world experience to help people speak up, stand out and progress.

Penny coaches and trains leaders and teams to communicate with confidence, increase their visibility and make a stronger impact at work.

Penny Haslam speaker

Known for her lively, humorous and practical style, Penny Haslam is an award-winning female motivational speaker based in the UK and speaks on workplace confidence, personal brand, communication and professional visibility.

In 2025, she was named the Professional Speaking Association Speaker of Excellence, an award granted to just one speaker each year.

Her keynotes and workshops give audiences useful tools they can apply immediately, helping them contribute more confidently, strengthen relationships and make their expertise count.

Author and journalist

Penny is the author of Make Yourself a Little Bit Famous and Panel Discussions: The Ultimate Guide, a finalist in the Business Book Awards. Her third book, Workplace Confidence, will be published by Wiley in 2027.

Penny Haslam also writes on the topics of confidence and communication for leading publications including People Management, Fast Company, HR Zone and Training Journal. Bit Famous in the media

Steve Blears, Director

Steve Blears is a former BBC national news journalist and television producer/director. He is a director of Bit Famous, where he helps organisations build confidence, visibility and influence through better communication.

Career

Steve began his media career in BBC local radio at GLR, before becoming a Senior Broadcast Journalist and reporter for BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat, Radio 5 Live and Radio 4.

He reported from New York as Newsbeat’s USA correspondent and also contributed to Today, PM and You and Yours. His work involved producing live and recorded reports, features and interviews for national audiences.

Steve then moved into factual television as a freelance shooting producer/director. His credits include The One Show, Watchdog Live, Helicopter Heroes, Kirsty and Phil’s Love It or List It, Bangers and Cash and River Walks, for broadcasters including BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV, Sky and UKTV.

Director of Bit Famous

Steve is a director of Bit Famous, the confidence and communication training and coaching business he runs with MD Penny Haslam.

He works with HR, L&D and people leaders to identify practical support for their teams and leaders, including media training, on-camera confidence, presentation skills and executive communication coaching.

His role also includes client onboarding, proposal development, programme planning, content strategy, marketing, PR and award submissions.

Digital visibility consultant

Steve Blears also consults for experts and professional-services businesses on digital visibility.

Using the practical experience gained from building Bit Famous and Penny Haslam’s speaking business, he helps clients improve how their expertise appears online: through their websites, content, books, podcasts and social proof.

Producer and writer

Steve produces Bit Famous’s podcasts, blogs and newsletters, bringing a journalist’s eye for clear stories, credible evidence and what will hold an audience’s attention.

His background in reporting, documentary and factual television also informs the practical, audience-focused approach he brings to media and communication work.