How To Start Up by FF&M

Jenna Hope, registered nutritionist and founder of Jenna Hope Nutrition helps implement beneficial nutrition strategies, through a combination of talks, presentations and workshops, to improve people’s well being, productivity, sleep, stress management and mental health. 

Jenna Hope’s Advice:

• Eat mindfully.  Pay attention to eating your food which will help it to be digested properly, allow nutrients to be fully absorbed into the body and make you feel more satisfied
• Reduce your reliance on caffeine, which can make you feel more stressed, affect your sleep and seduce you into consuming more sugar
• Diet / exercise / sleep: these are all important and interrelated
• Try to make three better dietary choices each day!
• Eat more probiotics (yoghurt, kefir etc.) and prebiotics (onions, leeks, bananas, chickpeas etc.)
• Hydration: make sure you keep up with water, using an app if necessary to remind you.  It can often be the cause of you feeling hungry
• Try to have 70g of protein per day (important for skin/hair/brain/hormone production) and try to make sure that 50% of what is on your plate is veg or fruit
• If you’re snacking, make sure it’s protein or fibre - this makes you feel fuller (try oatcakes + cream cheese/nuts/hummus/yoghurt/roasted chickpeas/a boiled egg)
• Research quick meals in your local supermarket so that when you’re in a hurry you know exactly where to go and make the right choice.  Also batch cook when you have the time
• Spices and herbs are not just good for you, they make food more exciting; it’s important to enjoy your food
• If you eat breakfast make sure it’s healthy - what you have is as important as whether you have it
• It’s a good idea to have your evening meal fairly early because sleep is more difficult if you are digesting; if you have to eat late, make it a light meal
• ‘The Optimum Nutrition Bible’ by Patrick Holford is a classic on the subject

If you’d like to contact Jenna, you can reach her at [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 &

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

Support the show

Jamie Clements, founder of The Breath Space: using breathing techniques to overcome anxiety and panic attacks, Jamie discovered the extensive benefits of breathwork for improving physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. 

Jamie's advice:

• Particularly for a founder, but for employees too, physical/mental/emotional health is essential
• Breathing can be a window onto your mental state; check in with it during the day to assess how you are.  Schedule moments e.g. between meetings, in a taxi - for yourself, breathing breaks when you can check how you’re doing
• It’s possible to shift your mental and emotional state by using simple breathing exercises; conscious breath control can quickly and effectively regulate your nervous system
• By being aware of how you are breathing, you can avoid dysfunctional breathing patterns e.g. allowing quick and shallow breathing, which triggers stress, to become habitual
• If you are a busy high-achiever, it’s important to avoid burnout; take short breaks to breathe consciously (always a longer exhale than inhale) and you will optimise your performance and increase stamina

If you’d like to contact Jamie, you can reach him at [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 Matt Johnson, TV presenter and Founder of The Checkin, an online space to connect people to mental health specialists as well as the mindfulness book, The Checkin Journal.

Given today is blue Monday we thought it particularly important to kick off our new season with a focus on mental health. Matt shares his personal advice on how founders can manage theirs as well as why it is so important to be aware of it too.

Matt Johnson's advice:

• Make boundaries to reserve time for yourself, especially if you work alone.  Time for mindfulness/breathing exercises/journal-writing/peace
• When establishing boundaries, assess your needs and wants; put yourself first for a change
• In order to work as well as you can, you must look after your health; always take mental health very seriously
• Prevention of mental ill-health is better than cure
• Check in with how you feel and work out why
• Value your time: to be alone, to be with other people and to be in nature 
• Accept that there will always be peaks and troughs
• Let go of expectations and be curious about what will happen next

If you’d like to contact Matt you can reach him via The Checkin @thecheckin.co on Instagram 

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 hear from Akash and Nikita Mehta, siblings and Co-Founders of renowned Ayurvedic haircare brand Fable & Mane. Inspired by their grandparents and the rich history of Indian beauty practices, they set out just over two years ago to share the rituals their family grew up with.

In this episode, Akash and Nikita share their advice why they wanted to incorporate charity as a key pillar of a business model from the get go, how they define and manage success and why purpose is paramount when starting a business.

Akash and Nikita's advice: 

• Branding/creating a name/building a concept all takes time - don’t rush this stage
• Make every product as perfect as possible before launching it
• Don’t be afraid of failure; learn from it
• Spend time on yourself; start with taking care of your health in whatever way is best for you
• Try to have a purpose for your business apart from making money; this benefits both your customers and your team
• Experiment with social media
• Don’t be afraid; problems can always be surmounted

If you’d like to contact Akash or Nikita, you can reach them at 

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, 2022 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 Inge Theron, founder and creative director of FACEGYM: the wellness brand pioneering the non-invasive facial workout.  After 11 years as the Financial Times’ Wellbeing, Beauty & Spa writer, Inge became aware of the increasingly invasive nature of cosmetic procedures. Following extensive research, Inge founded FACEGYM to help people age confidently.  

Having provided over 200,000 workouts at 11 global studios, Inge shares her advice on how to build a brand at pace, what she would go back and do again when it comes to process and structure and why people and trust are everything when starting a business. 

Inga's advice:

• Before you plunge in, be clear about the culture of your business, set your mission statements
• You are nothing without a good team around you
• You need good execution as well as a good idea
• Take professional advice on your branding
• Trust others and listen to experienced experts
• Focus on your intention and don’t give up - persevere
• Accept that the early excitement will fade and you just have to keep going
• If you transition from service to product, be careful; customers know you for one thing
• Remain authentic
• Take your customers with you by including them in focus groups etc.

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, 2022 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 Louise Olsen & Stephen Ormandy, co-founders and creative directors of Dinosaur Designs, the Australian luxury homeware and jewellery studio. Founding their business in 1985, Louise and Stephen began by selling their creations at Sydney’s markets where they both attended art school. Since then, Dinosaur Designs has grown to become one of Australia’s most renowned design studios and expanded internationally. 

Louise and Stephen share with us their advice on how they have built an internationally recognisable brand, why growing slowly is important for company culture and why looking after your team first is the No. 1 priority when running a successful business.

Louise and Stephen's advice: 

• When forming a partnership, bear in mind the stresses that building a business can bring
• Use lawyers and accountants to set up a firm basis
• Listen to those experienced in your area
• Keep within your capacity and grow slowly
• Look after your staff; remember it’s a collaboration
• Manage stress in whatever way suits you best
• Retain a student mentality and keep learning
• Success will give you the courage to take risks; creation leads to creation
• Don’t rush decisions; allow them to percolate
• Learn from your failures
• Be determined and take the plunge

If you’d like to contact Stephen or Louise you can reach them on via this link

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, 2022 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’re joined by Sheena Bhattessa, founder of Citizen Femme: the luxury travel guide for women and one of the UK’s leading travel publications. Born from Sheena’s love of travelling and growing up within the hotel industry, Citizen Femme curates the ultimate in travel, style, culture and beauty. Alongside her role with Citizen Femme, Sheena also works as both an actor and producer. 

Today Sheena shares her advice on the importance of your team around you, adapting your business as it grows and knowing your own strengths. 

Sheena's advice: 

• Analyse your data and produce what people want to consume
• Write contracts carefully to avoid disappointment
• Have a team around you who share your vision
• Try to employ people better than you
• Make sure you maintain your brand identity
• Ensure more money comes in than goes out
• When pricing, don’t undervalue yourself
• Don’t fear failure
  
  

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, 2022 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’re joined by Katie Lopes and Nicola Piercy, co-founders of the sustainable underwear brand Stripe & Stare.  Frustrated by the lack of comfortable yet sustainably sourced options, Katie and Nicola sought to create underwear, loungewear and sleepwear for the sustainable shopper who doesn’t want to compromise when it comes to style & comfort.

Katie and Nicola share their advice today on why building in sustainability at the beginning will make life easier when you scale and how to tackle the VC process as female founders.

Advice:

• When starting, pay attention to feedback; focus groups are valuable
• If you mean to be sustainable, go for external verification of your credentials;  going through the B-Corp process is a lot of work, but a B-corp leader can help a lot with this and it is worth the work
• Stick to your founding principles
• Only work with people you like and trust absolutely
• Co-founders who work well together tend to be opposites and have complementary skills
• Influencers, podcast sponsors and product gifting are all useful ways to gain publicity and customer loyalty
• When considering data, the important analytics to weigh up are customer acquisition costs and lifetime loyalty
• Angel investors can be invaluable initially; when looking for venture capital take your time to find the right investor.  Going for bank-funded venture capital can be less stressful and more predictable.  It’s also a lot of work but a growth partner who has expertise will be a great help
• When starting out, do your research thoroughly
• Female founders tend to be more accurate in their predictions which can make it difficult to find a backer; persevere!

If you’d like to contact Katie and Nicola you can reach them on [email protected] and  [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 & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2022 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.

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 Stephanie Melodia, founder of Bloom, an award-winning marketing agency for tech scale-ups. Since starting her business in November 2017, Stephanie has been named one of the UK’s Top 20 Most Influential Female Founders. Stephanie talks about her motivation for starting a business, balancing ambition with enjoyment of your work and shares important advice on curating a business proposal and pitching to VCs. 

Stephanie's Advice: 

• Consider and learn from the bad practice of others as well as the good
• Balance ambition with mindfulness and contentment - to avoid needless stress
• Delegate; you are not indispensable
• Be aware of your strengths and your weaknesses
• When planning your day, know yourself and when you are at your most productive
• If you need to reject an invitation, be polite but firm
• When pitching don’t let yourself feel subordinate; remember your value and what you have to offer
• Always communicate, at every stage; present your vision succinctly
• Don’t listen to anyone else; go for it!

If you’d like to contact Stephanie, you can reach out at [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 & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2022 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.

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 Rebecca Masri MBE, founder of the private members' hotel club Little Emperors. Little Emperors uses unparalleled travel technology to secure the best rates for its members at hotel groups including Rocco Forte and Rosewood.  

Following a career of almost ten years in investment banking and private wealth management, Rebecca founded her company in 2009 following the crash to pursue her love of travel. Alongside scaling her business, Rebecca was also awarded an MBE in 2012 for her services to charity. 

Rebecca shares with us her advice on why it is important to start at any point in an economic crisis and why risks should be taken but they should always be calculated ones.

Rebecca’s advice:

• Hire smart and invest in talent, particularly technological
• Every circumstance can present itself with an opportunity if you are looking for one 
• Think through your sales pitch to be clear before you start
• Be comfortable with (calculated) risk as it is a big contributor to success
• Know yourself and know what you will and will not be capable of alone
• The most valuable thing to consider when hiring is a cultural fit with the rest of the team; the right energy, the right philosophy, someone who's driven, who's got the same end goals, the same moral outlook, the same work ethics, and finally talent
• Let your senior members of staff be a part of the hiring process and have the final say as those are the people who will be working most closely with new hires 
• Try to predict where your business is going and go with it

If you'd like to contact Rebecca you can reach her on [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, 2022 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.

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