How To Start Up by FF&M

CIPD research shows that 67% of UK working women aged between 40 and 60 with menopausal symptoms had experienced a negative impact on their work, with 79% reporting feeling less able to concentrate at work. Clearly, hormones play a large role in the lives of female founders of all ages. 

I wanted to hear from a team with great experience in helping people overcome hormonal imbalances.  Margo Marrone, founder of The Organic Pharmacy and her daughter Roxy are the co-founders of eyeam, the solution-led skincare, supplements and education brand. Inspired by Roxy’s experience with adult acne and hormonal imbalance, the duo are supporting people to overcome debilitating conditions which impact their energy both at work and at home. 

Keep listening to hear Roxy and Margo’s advice on how founders can harness their hormones at work and how they can create a supportive environment for their teams too. 

Margo & Roxy’s advice:

• Never go against what your body is telling you
• The four different hormonal phases are effectively four different sets of skills:
  • Follicular - energised, a good time to schedule and plan
  • Ovulatory - communicative, a good time to set up talks and events
  • Luteal - detail-driven, a good time to tackle paperwork
  • Menstrual - a good time for rest and reflection
• Communication is important; there is no shame attached to your bodily cycle so share how you are feeling.  This is constructive and helpful for your colleagues
• Listen to your needs; you don’t have to push to the limits
• Managing hormones is not just a physical concern, it’s a mental one too.  Understand why you are stressed and self-regulate
• Work smarter not harder; it’s the output that counts, not the time spent.  Ideas which come when in the shower or on a walk can be so useful
• Quick ways to reduce stress can be breathwork (4-7-8 breathing helps) and humming
• Nutrition means not just food but your whole environment: the people around you, the things you read and watch, as well as what you eat
• Stop worrying about the to-do list; simply clear your head and tackle one task at a time

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.

FF&M enables you to own your own PR. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.  Email us at [email protected] or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. 

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link &  Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

With Zippia reporting that happy workers are 13% more productive than unhappy workers, clearly it’s crucial to maintain a supportive and welcoming company culture as you grow your business. Not only will this keep your employees motivated, but you’ll also reap the benefits of higher productivity. 

So, I wanted to find out how to grow a productive and happy team. That’s why I spoke with Katharine Pooley, Founder & Executive President of her eponymous luxury interior design studio. As one of the UK’s foremost interior designers, Katharine has grown her team to fifty people and adeptly balanced maintaining a creative environment with ensuring her team gets stuff done. 

Keep listening to hear Katharine’s advice on how to keep your team happy as well as productive as you scale and why thinking about the octopus effect can really help imbue each and every employee on a daily basis. 

Katherine's advice:
Know your limit in terms of number of employees
The happiness of your team is critical and will spring from:

• Enjoyment of the work
• Good collaboration
• Bonuses, salary raises and perks
• Knowing each other well
• Being allowed autonomy and being trusted
• Having a safe work environment
• A pleasant office with a reasonable commute
• Being trained and having the opportunity for meetings and discussions
• Examining a project after it has been delivered and discussing its good and bad points
• If a team is a happy one, productivity will be the result
• A happy team will be a loyal one and the longstanding employees will be so valuable
• Longstanding members can perhaps each manage their own team
• It’s a symbiotic relationship between employer and employed
• You need each other and ideally will stimulate each other

From the employer’s point of view, when interviewing:

• Try to assess the candidate quickly
• Trust the ones who speak with genuine warmth rather than the well-rehearsed speeches
• It’s important to like your employees
• Avoid ones who chatter rather than answering the question
• Those who can communicate and engage with you face to face will be strongest
• As the boss make sure you tackle your emails every single night
• If you have children be up front with them about what you need to do (and then make the most of your time with them)
• Give yourself goals at the start of the year and check up on them in August
• Remember, your enthusiasm will be infectious to your employees
• Be consistent 
• Always be approachable; make yourself available at all times and respond to requests
• Try to deal with problems yourself rather than handing them down
• Be prepared to forgive mistakes

FF&M enables you to own your own PR. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.  Email us at [email protected] or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. 

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link &  Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

The Department for Education found in 2022 that 63% of UK adults hold multiple roles, demonstrating the extensiveness of the portfolio career. However, how do you create multiple roles for yourself and, importantly, ensure you deliver across them all? 

To answer this, I wanted to hear from an experienced portfolio career holder who manages several roles at once - as an M&A growth expert, angel investor and advocate for inclusive leaders Nnenna Onuba founded her first business, LBB Skin, in 2018, & has since built a mergers & acquisitions consultancy and the leadership & inclusion advocacy organisation 100 Allies. Nnenna also holds directorships with organisations including the British Beauty Council and the Royal Veterinary College. 

Keep listening to hear Nnenna’s advice on separating your different roles and effectively balancing competing demands on your time.

Nnenna’s advice:

• You need plenty of life experience first
• You must know yourself and what you’re good at, so you can hone in on your strengths
• You need to be the sort of person who enjoys continual learning
• Tackle the tough creative tasks at the beginning of the day when your energy is highest
• When you are relaxed you will be more creative
• Accept that as you age your energy levels may alter, and different times of day will suit you better
• Stay innovative
• If you mentor others you will learn from this
• Attract people with different skills to your own
• Don’t be afraid to delegate important things and trust others
• Additionally, surround yourself with people who inspire you
• If you tackle uncomfortable jobs you will get better at them
• If you are properly self-aware you will be more observant of others
• Try to do even one small thing that makes a difference

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.

FF&M enables you to own your own PR. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.  Email us at [email protected] or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. 

Let us know how your start up journey is going or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss in future episodes. 

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link &  Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

UK productivity was ‘24% lower in 2023 than it would have been had it continued climbing at the rates seen before the global financial crisis’ according to the Economics Observatory. Given time is the most limited factor for any founder, for our eleventh season I’ve set out to find answers on how we can all improve our productivity in business.

First up, I wanted to find out how to scale a business efficiently. So I spoke with Nina Briance, Founder & CEO of CULT MIA, the online fashion marketplace for the world’s leading sustainable designers. Since founding CULT MIA in 2019, Nina has grown her business to become one of fashion’s leading online retailers.

Keep listening to hear Nina’s advice on implementing the right systems for efficient growth and how to avoid duplicating work.

FF&M enables you to own your own PR. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.  Email us at [email protected] or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. 

Let us know how your start up journey is going or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss in future episodes. 

Nina’s advice:

• Always aim to achieve more with less
• When you start you need a solid foundation of 1) clear processes 2) strong leadership 3) a business model which is scalable - that way you will be able to grow comfortably
• Time block your calendar well in advance
• Always ask yourself WHY you are doing something
• Keep focussed on your long-term goals
• Learn when to step back and let others make decisions (trust people and let them feel empowered)
• Save time by automating processes where this is possible
• All team members need to have a clearly defined role; a growing business does not necessarily need a growing workforce
• Keep auditing your thinking and structures

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link &  Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

Building, scaling and maintaining one brand is challenging. However, successfully creating multiple brands is a brilliant feat of focus and endurance. With this in mind, I wanted to learn from an expert brand builder.

Hind Sebti is the founder of whind, a beauty brand that merges both science and sensoriality to deliver Golden Hour Beauty, inspired by her home of Morocco, in a high efficacy yet super indulging range of skin care, body care and  fragrances, and the founder of Waldencast, a beauty and wellness platform that creates, acquires and scales the next generation of high growth purpose driven brands. 

Waldencast Ventures, is a privately owned brand incubator that has launched and built whind but also sister brands coat[s] and glaze. Waldencast PLC acquired Obagi skin care and Milk Makeup and was listed on the Nasdaq in July 2022 and valued then at over $1bn.

As a multi-brand founder, Hind has a wealth of experience building brands that win customers’ hearts. 

Keep listening to hear Hind’s advice on building multiple brands and effectively managing different businesses at the same time. 

Hind's advice:

• As a founder you will start by doing everything yourself, but once you have a team you need to prioritise what to do yourself and what to delegate
• Those things only you can do will be the most important things - prioritise!
• Being able to trust your team and confidently delegate is vital; you cannot do everything yourself
• A combination of ambition and humility is good
• When building several brands at once, space out the various processes as you will learn from each one, which will benefit the next one - don’t put all your eggs in the same basket
• Be flexible when building a company culture; every business is different, and every employee works differently.  Allow the employees to contribute to the company culture as people are your most important asset
• Be flexible and adaptable; businesses may not evolve in the way you had expected
• If you can find a partner whose skills complement your own, you are in luck as it’s great to have someone with whom you can discuss decisions

FF&M enables you to own your own PR. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.  Email us at [email protected] or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. 

Let us know how your start up journey is going or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss in future episodes. 

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link &

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

With the UK fashion sector’s annual revenue estimated to be just under £60 billion, it is a highly competitive sector in which you need a strong brand to differentiate your offering. Given this, I wanted to speak with an expert about how to build a fashion brand that stands out from the crowd. 

In this episode, I speak with Henrietta Rix, Co-Founder of RIXO, a leading British womenswear brand. Together with her co-founder Orlagh McCloskey, the pair founded RIXO in 2015 to bridge the gap between great fitting pieces and unique designs and offer a dynamic in-person experience too. 

Keep listening to hear Henrietta’s advice on starting a fashion brand and why sticking to your roots and gut feelings will help you to distinguish your brand from its competitors. 

Henrietta’s advice: 

• When building a dynamic brand, be true to yourself and to your original idea
• Find a gap in the market 
• Be passionate about what you do
• Timing is vital but stick to your original mission to bring back the dynamism
• Instagram is a readily accessible and fast way to spread your brand’s image once you know what you want to do 
• Immerse yourself in the product and become familiar with every single aspect of production and sales
• Know every department of your business inside out even if you’re delegating a lot of it
• Listen continually to your customers - imagine you are one of them, learn from their feedback
• Pay attention to company culture and make sure your staff are loyal to the ethos
• Know your competitors but don’t worry about them, no need to copy them
• Don’t overproduce; try sustainable initiatives like rentals/preloved/alterations
• Avoid wastage and dead stock at the year’s end 

FF&M enables you to own your own PR. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.  Email us at [email protected] or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. 

Let us know how your start up journey is going or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss in future episodes. 

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link &  Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

With 70% of respondents of a Forbes survey stating they believed personal branding is important, it’s clear that founders need to consider how they promote not just their business, but also themselves as individuals while starting their company. 

Eshita Kabra-Davies is the founder and CEO of By Rotation, the UK's first peer-to-peer fashion rental app. Eshita founded the platform in 2019 to challenge the notion that ownership was not the only way to consume and enjoy fashion. Since then, she has successfully built a very strong personal/professional profile internationally alongside her business. 

Keep listening to hear Eshita’s advice on why to question what to put out there in terms of professional and personal self, and why it is important to consider the platform context

Eshita’s advice: 

• Be careful how you use your time as social media can take up a lot of it
• Don’t feel the pressure to post personal content if you don’t want to, you can build a brand without sharing your personal life too
• You don’t need to be on every platform, pick a few that work but less is more
• LinkedIn is just for professional, specific information
• Put the business first before your personal content if you need to prioritise one 
• Be aware of the community that follows you and ensure you speak to your audience 

FF&M enables you to own your own PR. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.  Email us at [email protected] or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. 

Let us know how your start up journey is going or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss in future episodes. 

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link &  Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

Building an engaging brand is one of the most challenging parts of starting a company. This is especially true in competitive sectors where you need to cut through the noise to create connections with your target customers. So I wanted to hear from experts on how to build a brand from scratch. 

Lucinda Chambers and Serena Hood are co-founders of Collagerie: a leading fashion, interiors, beauty and lifestyle marketplace. The former British Vogue editors founded Collagerie in 2019 and quickly built their brand through interesting and dynamic ways. 

Lucinda and Serena share their advice on what to do first when building a digital brand and how to ensure your brand story and visual identity work well together. 

Lucinda and Serena’s advice: 

• Work hard to realise the idea that’s in your head when designing the look of your brand
• Persevere until you get this right; don’t hesitate to start again from scratch if you’re not convinced
• If you are not a designer, employ someone who is
• Know your own weaknesses and either choose a partner who complements your strengths, or hire someone who does this
• Settle the visual side of your brand first; tone of voice will follow on
• Take time over choosing the name; experiment with a few, try them out on friends
• Use focus groups/groups of friends and bombard them with questions
• Use social media; take time crafting promotional emails
• Believe in what you do; authenticity shows and will build trust in your customers
• Never be afraid to ask advice; admit your vulnerability
• Take time out and step back when you’re struggling to resolve a problem
• Collaboration can be valuable

FF&M enables you to own your own PR. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.  Email us at [email protected] or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. 

Let us know how your start up journey is going or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss in future episodes. 

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link &  Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

Edelman recently reported that ‘81% of consumers need to trust a brand to consider purchasing it’ so it is clear that brands which take time to build impact, education and purpose into their offering will also build trust with consumers and ultimately increase their sales. 

In this episode, I hear from Titi Bello, Founder of Ori Lifestyle, the luxury hair care brand now stocked in Selfridges and Harrods. Born out of Titi’s experiences with her own hair loss and seeing her daughter develop hair insecurities, Ori Lifestyle offers high-performance hair care products alongside coaching courses to improve customers’ confidence in their hair. 

Listen on to hear Titi’s advice on why building an educational and purpose-led brand is crucial for success. 

Titi’s advice:

• Find the product that meets the needs of a particular market
• A good product is not enough on its own; marketing and visibility are crucial
• To have the edge a product needs to look good as well as be effective
• If a product can be multipurpose, so much the better
• It may well be useful to educate and challenge your customers and be honest with them about results; this will build trust and loyalty and ensure repeat sales
• Take your community with you; use feedback.  Establish contact via blogs / whatsapp / email and always listen to them
• Your relationship with your customers will be your motivating factor and keep you going
• “Go in with your heart” - businesses that stand the test of time are not just in it for financial gain
• Aesthetics and branding are vital and must represent you and your values
• Don’t over analyse; just start!
• Know what you don’t know and find a partner with a different skill set to yours

FF&M enables you to own your own PR. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.  Email us at [email protected] or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. 

Let us know how your start up journey is going or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss in future episodes. 

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link &  Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

With Protega Global reporting that 77% of UK consumers believe brands should use ‘as little packaging as possible’, it’s important for new brands to research how to reduce their environmental impact. 

As packaging can be a huge barrier to entry, I wanted to speak to someone who has created a stunning brand package. 

In this episode, I hear from Randi Christiansen, CEO & Co-Founder of Néccessaire, one of the world’s leading body care brands. Founded in 2018, Néccessaire provides customers with minimal, high-functioning products and is now certified as both climate neutral and plastic neutral. 

Keep listening to hear Randi’s advice on how to create stand-out packaging for your brand and why it is so important to maintain a consistent visual identity. 

FF&M enables you to own your own PR. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.  Email us at [email protected] or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. 

Let us know how your start up journey is going or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss in future episodes. 

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link &  Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show