Hellman Talks

Lucía Larragoiti is the founder of La Maritxu, a Basque cheesecake brand that has brought a taste of the Basque Country to London — growing from a side project into one of the city’s most loved spots.

In this conversation, they explore what it really takes to build something from scratch — from the uncertainty of the early days to scaling a business while working full-time as an architect. They also discuss the importance of staying open-minded, keeping things simple, and adapting when things don’t go as planned. 

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00:00 - Meet Lucía: The Basque Baker Behind La Maritxu

00:38 - Where She's From & Life In London

01:02 - Growing Up Basque: A Culture Of Good Food

02:05 - From Bilbao To London: The Architecture Career

02:34 - Life As An Architect: Lessons & Insecurities

03:16 - Overcoming Insecurity At Work

04:27 - Starting The Business While Still An Architect

04:35 - The Origin Story Of La Maritxu

05:01 - How Her Sister In Ecuador Started It All

06:07 - Taking Orders From Home & Going To Food Markets

07:42 - Balancing Architecture & The Cake Business

09:15 - Going Full-Time & Opening The First Store

10:28 - The Stress in the Early Days

12:00 - How Her Architecture Background Helped

12:57 - Opening Day: Empty Shop & A Pessimistic Neighbour

14:00 - The Influencer That Changed Everything

15:01 - Scaling From 25 To 150 Cakes A Day

17:27 - What Makes A Basque Cheesecake Different vs NY Cheesecake

18:30 - One Classic Flavour & New Collabs

19:01 - Running A Business With Your Sisters

20:04 - Tips For Family Business Communication

20:32 - Growing From One Store To Three In London

21:37 - Just Start: Don't Wait Until Everything Is Perfect

22:28 - The Reality Of Entrepreneurship

23:08 - Adapting When Things Don't Go As Planned

24:22 - Scaling The Recipe: Handcrafted vs. Factory

26:19 - Keep It Simple: Advice For Entrepreneurs to Scale Their Business

26:52 - The Future Of La Maritxu

27:26 - Wholesale vs. More Stores

28:53 - Rapid-Fire Q&A + Final Thoughts

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Guest Social Media: @LaMaritxuLondon

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Melanie Nasr (aka The Happy Coach) is a former hospitality professional turned life coach and numerologist with a global background from Senegal to Europe.

They explore what it means to truly live “life your way,” reconnect with yourself, balance ambition with wellbeing, and redefine success on your own terms — while building small daily habits that support a more fulfilled life. 

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00:00 - Meet The Happy Coach

02:00 - From Autopilot To Life My Way

04:10 - On Paper Successful… But Not Fulfilled

06:30 - Coaching: Self-Awareness Tool

09:10 - Balancing Ambition With Wellbeing & Non-Negotiables

12:00 - Don’t Compare Your Path & Taking Care Of Yourself

13:14 - Society Pressures And The Importance Of Rest

14:16 - Leadership Starts With People

15:20 - “Success At All Cost”

17:04 - Human Beings Always Want More

17:35 - Success Is Not One Size Fits All

19:06 - Nutrition And Movement

19:42 - How To Eat Better And Exercise More

22:28 - Learn To Say No

24:10 - Gratitude And Inner Peace

25:38 - Wearing The Leader Hat In Your Own Life

26:48 - Act The Way You Want To Feel

27:36 - What Is Numerology And How It Can Help You

29:00 - Focusing And Going Deeper On One Thing

30:25 - Rapid-Fire Q&A + Final Thoughts

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Guest Social Media: @LifeYourWay.Coaching

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✨ Follow for more on Instagram, TikTok & more @Hellman.Talks 

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Welcome to Hellman Talks Insights — quick, 5 min episodes where Claudia shares 3 quick ideas or takeaways that caught her attention from her next guest.

This week’s topics: gratefulness, the power of smiling, and happy news.

Ben Barnett is a globally touring saxophonist and entrepreneur, best known as The Sax Man.

We talk about his journey from a childhood passion to a 20-year international music career, performing everywhere from Ibiza and Burning Man to private events around the world, and why he’s now focused on building platforms that support the next generation of creative freelancers. 🎷✨

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00:00 – Meet The SaxMan (Ben Barnett)

03:15 – Turning passion into a career

04:52 – Saxually Active: music, art & record label

05:37 – Blending genres & freestyling with DJs

06:21 – Ibiza, Marbella, Burning Man & touring worldwide

08:08 – Wild gigs: George Clooney, royalty & private events

11:15 – From musician to entrepreneur

11:54 – Active Artists Agency: built by artists, for artists

14:48 – Helping artists with the business side (pricing, gigs, admin)

16:12 – Advice for new musicians breaking in

19:39 – Confidence, mental health & community

22:38 – Phones at gigs: Keinemusik, no-phone zones & being present

24:17 – Expect the unexpected (career lessons)

25:04 – What’s next: building the future for artists

26:00 – Rapid-Fire Q&A + final thoughts

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Guest Social Media: @TheSaxManUK @SaxuallyActive @ActiveArtistsAgency

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✨ Follow for more on Instagram, TikTok & more @Hellman.Talks 

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Welcome to Hellman Talks Insights — quick, 5 min episodes where Claudia shares 3 quick ideas or takeaways that caught her attention from her next guest.

This week’s topics: music, creativity and entrepreneurship. 

José de la Vega is the CEO and founder of Arktic — a fast-growing consulting firm in Spain.

We talk about José’s journey from starting out in the Big Four, becoming CEO of a consulting firm, and launching his own company. He shares how his entrepreneurial childhood shaped his mindset, what it means to be a CEO, how to spot great talent, and why he believes small firms give young professionals more space to grow.

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00:00 – Intro: Meet José & his entrepreneurial family

03:01 – Getting started in consulting

05:01 – Climbing the consulting ladder & leading teams

08:10 – Becoming a CEO for the first time

09:17 – Key leadership traits & styles that matter

10:35 – Building a fast-growing consulting firm (Arktic)

13:12 – Hiring talent: skills vs. attitude

14:30 – How he views competition

15:00 – Small firms vs. big institutions

18:11 – AI and the future of consulting

22:14 – Overcoming tough career moments

24:57 – Balancing CEO life and personal time

25:40 – Tech culture & the Silicon Valley mindset

28:15 – Leadership by example

29:09 – Hobbies, sleep tips & routines

31:50 – Rapid-Fire Q&A & Final Thoughts

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Guest Social Media: @artkic.es

Link to Vincent's episode podcast: https://youtu.be/L2-NubXUn8U

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✨ Follow for more on Instagram, TikTok & more @Hellman.Talks 

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Welcome to Hellman Talks Insights — quick, 5 min episodes where Claudia shares 3 quick ideas or takeaways that caught her attention from her next guest.

This week’s topics: consulting, CEOs, and sleep.

Virginie Delpal is the U.S. Brand Ambassador for Champagne Barons de Rothschild — the prestigious Champagne house founded by one of Europe’s most influential families.

In this episode, we explore Virginie’s international career in wine and champagne, how Rothschild’s legacy of excellence shapes every champagne bottle, and the art of building long-term client relationships through trust, creativity, and experience.

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00:00 – Intro: Meet Virginie

01:14 – Discovering wine

02:07 – Virginie’s international journey

04:11 – Wine and Champagne roles

06:55 – Champagne 101: grapes, rules, and regions

09:16 – Working in Asia, Europe, and the US

14:48 – Frerejean Frères House

15:28 – Champagne Barons de Rothschild

18:44 – What sets Barons de Rothschild apart

21:18 – Marketing strategy & events like SailGP

24:43 – Virginie’s role as US Brand Ambassador

30:13 – What makes a great Champagne salesperson

31:59 – Exciting projects & new Champagne experiences

33:00 – Rapid-Fire Q&A & Final Thoughts

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Guest Social media: @virginie__de & @champagnebaronsderothschild 

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Ex–Goldman Sachs MD turned coffee entrepreneur after 30 years on Wall Street.

We dive into why “luck” is about preparation, what it takes to stand out in high-pressure environments, when to walk away from corporate, and how to make bold career moves without regrets — and why, for Jim, it all led to coffee.

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00:00 — Intro & NYC Beginnings

02:38 — Life at Goldman Sachs

05:29 — Navigating the Financial Crisis

06:42 — What It Takes to Thrive at Goldman Sachs

10:59 — How to Be Lucky (Hint: It’s Not Just Luck)

13:58 — Wall Street Culture & the Role of Tech

17:01 — Launching a Coffee School

18:14 — Building a Niche Through Practical Learning

22:06 — When to Start: The Right Time for Entrepreneurship

23:33 — Corporate vs. Entrepreneur Life: Should You Jump?

26:03 — The American Dream & Inner Drive

27:49 — Purpose, Teamwork & the Goldman Sachs Ethos

29:47 — Social Impact & Giving Back

33:01 — Rapid Fire Q&A + Final Thoughts

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Guest Social media: @newjerseycoffeeschool

Link to Modern Prince Hubertus episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Y42eImZiWCvCicafMwdon?si=9bfc5d3dcebe41c5

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✨ Follow for more on Instagram, TikTok & more @Hellman.Talks 

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From EY to Disney+, Vincent unpacks the future of streaming, the magic behind media and entertainment, and what fencing taught him about discipline and drive.

Tune in for fresh takes on career pivots, cinema, and carving your own path in a fast-moving industry.

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00:00 – Intro: Meet Vincent

00:58 – IE University: Clubs, leadership & student life tips

04:38 – Starting out in consulting (EY & beyond)

06:54 – Landing the dream role at Disney+

08:00 – Streaming trends: data, competition & what we watch

12:59 – How Vincent pitches Disney+ in one sentence

15:00 – The future of media: TV, cinema & social vs streaming

21:24 – AI & creativity: threat or opportunity?

23:50 – Want to work at Netflix or Disney? Here’s how

25:40 – Side projects, startups & building something your own

29:15 – Fencing & chess: mindset, strategy & focus

34:40 – Rapid-Fire Q&A & Final Thoughts

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Guest Social Media: @vhugdemerlo & @raccoonmedia.uk

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✨ Follow for more on Instagram, TikTok & more @Hellman.Talks 

🔗 All links here: https://linktr.ee/hellmantalks