How To Start Up by FF&M

When starting a business, founders have the opportunity to start with a clean slate as well as start as they mean to go on. So the aim of this season is to share as much as we can on how businesses can start with ethical practice at their core. 

We’re all aware of how certain industries do a lot of damage. For example, fashion is responsible for 10% of global man-made greenhouse gas emissions [BBC], however the second any business owners turn on a light, they have a responsibility to the planet. 

In this episode, I speak with Ginnie Chadwyck-Healy, founder of VCH Style. Ginnie is an environmentally conscious stylist and fashion writer, who champions considered consumption and a more mindful approach to purchasing products. The former Retail Editor of Vogue, now a contributor to The Telegraph and Grazia, Ginnie became self-employed to help guide her clients in purchasing fewer, higher-quality items and share her philosophy of shopping sustainably.  

Given brands and businesses are all keen to secure editorial press coverage, I was keen to speak to Ginnie about how we can pitch to her with information that she really wants to hear about, how to avoid greenwashing and some simple do’s and don’ts when it comes to sustainable PR messaging. 

Ginnie’s advice:

• Leaders need to look at the salary split to ensure change 
• Businesses that promote buy-back schemes and/or recycling of products are doing the right thing
• Transparency in all aspects of the company is vital; CEOs need a thorough knowledge of the whole production chain
• When pitching with a sustainable message don’t do it via Instagram DM, write an email
• Pitch emails need to be short
• Tailor your pitch - and get their name right!
• A sustained charity link-up can be impressive
• Start as you mean to go on
• Avoid too much gifting; it’s expensive and usually wasteful
• If you do gift, avoid extravagant packaging
• Avoid glossy press releases on expensive paper
• Have a business coach or mentor to offload onto
• Structure your week (eg back-to-back meetings days, desk day)

If you'd like to contact Ginnie you can reach her via https://www.vchstyle.com/contact

FF&M enables you to own your own PR. We also offer podcast production services.

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.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

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

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

Support the show

Sustainable and ethical behaviour isn’t limited to environmental practices. It translates into all areas of business including providing opportunities for people who may find themselves excluded from the workforce. 

Alex Head is the founder of the leading sustainable catering company, Social Pantry. As one of the first 15 UK companies employing ex-offenders to be awarded the prestigious YOUNITED Flag award, Social Pantry is a dedicated champion of equity and opportunity within the workforce. 

In this episode, Alex shares her advice on how founders can overcome the stigma of starting up a business differently and why now is the right time to declare what your intentions are with your ESG goals.

Alex’s advice: 

• Always employ the best possible people
• Make sure your staff feel valued / enjoy their work / do not feel out of their depth
• Crucially, ensure that they learn as they go, so that they benefit from working with you
• Give junior staff responsibilities
• Have a sustainability expert, as standards are constantly changing
• Put sustainability at the heart of your business
• Be transparent in everything you do; be honest about what you can’t do
• Always work with the best suppliers; every part of your product has to be excellent
• Celebrate your wins
• Move staff around in order that they learn different skills
• Be honest about challenges, be flexible and keep learning

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.

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.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

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 amount of plastic produced in a year is roughly the same as the entire weight of humanity. EarthDay.org reported that humans use about 1.2 million plastic bottles per minute in total.  Approximately 91% of plastic is not recycled.  Everyone is aware that we need to use less plastic every day and new founders have the opportunity to lead the way on this. 

So for this episode, I wanted to speak to a proven expert on how to solve the packaging problem.  Joanna Jensen founded the children’s toiletries brand Childs Farm as she was determined to help soothe her daughters’ painful eczema, so formulated a collection of natural products packed with essential oils to care for children’s sensitive skin. Childs Farm has been certified as a B Corp and ​​became the number one brand in the baby and child segment in 2019. 

Having been a sustainability advocate throughout her life, Joanna shares what investors now expect from businesses on sustainability, how to build it in from the beginning and why packaging doesn’t have to be the hardest part to solve.

Joanna’s advice: 

• Investors care about sustainability and expect it
• Don’t pay the plastic tax: just don’t use plastic. If you have to, it must be recycled
• If you set your standards high, and care about ESG (Environment, Sustainability, Governance), you will attract quality people who share those standards
• If your product falls short in its packaging, attempt to improve and be honest and open about your attempts to do so
• Shareholders, just like investors, will appreciate high standards in this area
• Push back on suppliers because your whole supply chain should be in line with your standards
• Talk to other founders to get advice; learn, ask and be curious
• Surround yourself with like-minded people who will be honest with you
• Communication is a vital asset in any business; if this is not your strength employ someone to support you in this

Click here to find out more about Prevented Ocean Plastics.
 
If you'd like to contact Joanna you can reach via Instagram @childsfarm @joannajensenofficial or via [email protected]

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

A lot of people comment about how lonely becoming self-employed can be. Leaving behind regular structure and income is one thing, but also a lack of community of support can be significant too. In this episode, I speak with two founders who know the importance of community as they’ve built their whole business around it. 

Diana Stenbolt and Gemma Estrela are the co-founders of the skincare and wellness discovery platform SKINDAYS. Having met at Farfetch, Diana and Gemma shared a frustration with existing skincare retail experiences. Determined to change this, they founded SKINDAYS to offer expert advice, bespoke recommendations and impartial vetting for their community of beauty customers. 

Diana and Gemma share their thoughts on the importance of community, both for brands seeking to build loyal customer bases and for founders when they need support during the often lonely journey of founding a business. 
Skindays’ advice: 

• Building a community around your business gives a sense of belonging
• Usually there is a community that exists between brand founders and customers; it should be one of shared beliefs and will offer mutual support
• It is vital to engage with your customers, to listen to their feedback and their expectations; this is a crucial community to build.  Listen so that you can tailor new ideas to their aspirations
• Surveys, round table events, membership clubs and education around your product are all useful ways both to build this community and to promote your brand
• When you are starting up, an entrepreneurship community of similar founders can be a great support, and will cover many different aspects of business
• There is also your existing community of friends, family, perhaps mentors - be open with this group, share your anxieties and pay attention to the feedback
• Take one step at a time
• Take the leap, listen to the feedback and build

If you’d like to contact SKINDAYS, you can reach them at [email protected] or [email protected]

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.
FF&M enables you to own your own PR.
Edited by Milun Haggipavlou. 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.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

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

In this episode, we hear from Jenn McGarrigle, Mica Janiv & Aisling Connaughton: the co-founders of  sustainability consultancy CYD Connects. With extensive backgrounds in beauty, technology and sustainability, the team came together in 2019 to help other founders and businesses become more sustainable and benefit a wider group of societal stakeholders other than just shareholders. 

As experts in becoming B Corp certified, Jenn, Mica and Aisling share practical advice on how to achieve B-Corp certification and how every business has the potential to be a force for good. 

CYD Connects advice: 

• Before you can make public statements about your company you need to explore the background internally; be the first to ask the tricky questions
• Remember that consumers can now ask questions directly thanks to social media
• Sustainability (the UN definition) means meeting the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
• Remember sustainability is an essential not a luxury
• The three pillars of sustainability are:
  • The environment
  • Societal imperatives like gender equality/black lives matter/mental health
  • The economy and how we make money.
• All three are essential and need to be balanced with each other
• B Corp expects a legal commitment
• You can download B Impact Assessment to measure and track your performance; there are online tools to measure your impact (use of energy, carbon footprint)
• When starting up, having a plan to be sustainable from the outset will make you more efficient in the long run
• Simple steps to accreditation: complete your impact assessment; then if you score over 80 points, you will join a queue; then you await verification (this will depend on the type of business you are)
• Verification will give you enormous self-assurance and confidence which will help you build your business
• And remember to share the experience you have gained doing this, with other founders

The 15 commitments to conscious leadership book: https://conscious.is/15-commitments 

CYD Connects can be reached at [email protected]

FF&M enables you to own your own PR - contact us to find out more. Email us at [email protected] or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. 

Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.  

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.  

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

In this episode, we hear from Russell Foster, Professor of Circadian Neuroscience and the Head of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford as well as the author of Life Time which explains how our body clocks work. Through his work, Russell has made great advances in our understanding of how the circadian rhythm is generated and how it suffers under societal pressures, ageing and disease. 

Russell explains why a good night’s sleep is so important, as well as what ‘good’ means to an individual, plus how to balance your sleep schedule with building your business. 
Russell’s advice:

• Sleep is a fundamental need, not a luxury
• Lack of sleep can cause: 
  - fluctuations in mood
  - a negative bias
  - loss of empathy
  - an inclination to take unnecessary risks
  - the use of stimulants and sedatives (which affect natural sleep patterns)
• In the long term lack of sleep also leads to:
  - altered immune response
  - vulnerability to cardiovascular disease
  - type 2 diabetes
  - obesity due to eating carelessly
  - depression and psychosis
• Learn how much sleep you need as an individual, and keep to it regularly
• Don’t change habits at weekends as this will throw you off
• If you take a nap, keep it to 20 minutes - any longer will encroach on your night’s sleep
• If you wake in the night:
  - simply read a favourite book and stay relaxed
  - don’t look at the clock
• Don’t exercise too vigorously before bed (raised body temperature defers sleep)

If you’d like to contact Russell, you can reach him at X

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.

FF&M enables you to own your own PR.

Edited by Milun Haggipavlou. 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.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

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

In this episode, we hear from Hamish Mackay-Lewis, founder of a leadership coaching company. Through his work, Hamish supports individuals to step into leadership roles as well as working with teams to support their growth.

Hamish shares his advice on how to understand your imposter syndrome, explains why it is actually an experience rather than a syndrome and some simple things you as a founder can do to manage those sometimes sabotaging thoughts that can come into your head when going out on your own. 

Hamish’s advice: 

• Impostor experience is very common: feelings of inadequacy which can come and go
• One advantage of these feelings is that you will prepare thoroughly and be highly motivated
• The disadvantage however can be feeling constantly anxious, doubting yourself
• It’s important to celebrate yourself, not to constantly compare yourself with others
• Don’t set yourself unreasonable goals
• Observe your thoughts; if you are noticing self-doubt, check in with others to get an  objective opinion about your achievements - and trust their opinions
• Recognise where this self-doubt stems from (often from childhood) and come to terms with this
• Don’t bury the sadness / frustration / nerves; learn to accept and understand these uncomfortable feelings.  Face up to what is causing them
• Consciously choose your response to life; practise daily to be in the moment
• Understand what is important about your business, its bigger purpose, quite apart from any financial rewards
• Keep a diary to record your satisfactions and frustrations and be attentive to what gives you energy and joy
• Be kind to yourself; remembering you are not alone with these feelings can give you resilience
• Accept that you will always have nagging doubts and may never feel good enough; and at the same time recognise that you are, of course, perfectly good enough!

If you'd like to contact Hamish you can reach him via [email protected]

Fallow, Field & Mason enables you to own your PR in-house for the long term. This saves you money on monthly PR agency retainer fees and allows you to build your own press network. 

FF&M also offers an end-to-end podcast production service for businesses, brands and individuals to reach and connect with new audiences while further raising their profiles.  

Email us at [email protected] or DM us on Instagram @fallowfieldmason. 

Let us know how your startup 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.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

Recorded, edited & published in 2023 by Juliet Fallowfield founder of PR & podcast production consultancy Fallow, Field & Mason.  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

In this episode, we hear from Le’Nise Brothers, a leading nutritionist and yoga teacher specialising in women’s health, hormones and the menstrual cycle. Le’Nise develops nutritional programmes through her Eat Love Move consultancy to empower and educate women to understand their bodies and advocate for better healthcare. 

Le’Nise’s first book, You Can Have A Better Period, was released in March 2022 and she also hosts the Period Story podcast, breaking taboos around menstrual health, hormones, perimenopause, menopause and beyond. 

In today’s episode, Le’Nise shares her advice on working to the rhythms of your body and harnessing the power of the four stages of the menstrual cycle to benefit you both professionally and personally.

Le’Nise’s Advice: 

• Recognise your tiredness when you are using sugar and caffeine throughout the day as a prop, and when you no longer feel excited about what you do
• Respect your body and its energy levels; don’t feel guilty about taking breaks (these can be productive in terms of ideas)
• Be aware of your menstrual cycle and plan your diary accordingly; when you have your period this is a time for slowing down a little, being more analytical and insightful
• When you are ovulating, you will be more energetic/confident/sociable; this is a time for negotiating and dealing with people
• Be disciplined about good sleep habits; your body needs to anticipate sleep and wind down for it.  You may need a little more when having your period
• Pay attention to your diet.  During a period you will need more iron which is a great source of energy so eat red meat if you can, and boost your Vitamin C intake.  To counteract stress you need magnesium (in for example dark chocolate) sodium (in salt) and potassium (in bananas, coconut water)
• Monitor your menstrual cycle and note if it is being affected by external stresses; understanding this can help you guard against too much stress
• Understanding your cycle gives you power!

If you’d like to contact Le'Nise, you can reach her at [email protected] 

FF&M enables you to own your own PR.  Edited by Milun Haggipavlou. 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.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

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

In this episode, we hear from Nina Nesdoly, founder of Workplace Clarity.  As a workplace stress and burnout prevention consultant, Nina draws on her management and neuroscience background to deliver workshops and training courses to help her clients overcome workplace stress, prevent burnout and improve their workplace performance. 

Nina shares her advice on maintaining a work/life balance, identifying stress triggers and techniques for relieving stress. 

If you’d like to contact Nina, you can reach her at [email protected]

FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts.
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. 

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

In this episode, we hear from physio and PT, Tim Blakey, creator of PRIME BODY, the affordable personal fitness training app that helps you progress and learn as you go.  Born from his own health and fitness challenges and overcoming training injuries, Tim combines corrective work with strength training to optimise body composition and combat body betrayal. 

Tim shares his perspective on why founder mobility is so important to incorporate from the beginning, why to prioritise resistance training over cardio and why it can actually be a great investment in your overall business to look after your mobility.

Tim’s advice: 

• Physical health helps not only mental health, but  business health too - if you are well you will be more productive
• Posture is important, affects how you look, feel and can prevent injury; but more important than posture is movement
• If you are deskbound, make sure you build movement in all through the day
• A meeting between two people can take place on a walk
• Movement can produce ideas
• Even five minutes’ movement is better than none
• Mobilisation before a walk or a run will help
• Fitness is not vanity - it is good for stress management
• Even if your day is unstructured, find time for exercise - it doesn’t really matter when
• Put strength before cardio: muscular-skeletal strength is the most important thing
• Sleep is important, and caffeine will affect the quality of that sleep
• When travelling, don’t make it an excuse not to exercise; therabands can be helpful
• Encourage your team to use a gym/order nutritious takeaway meals/try cold water daily dips
• Exercising can be a good way of networking with different groups of people
• Celebrate the small wins when exercising
• Take an interest in your own body!  Learn about it, examine the mind/muscle connection

Follow this link for a video on tips and tricks.  If you’d like to contact Tim, you can reach him at [email protected]

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for our future guests.
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 enables you to own your own PR.

Edited by Milun Haggipavlou. 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. 

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.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

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