How To Start Up by FF&M

Today, I’m joined by Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures, the world’s largest small group adventure travel company and a pioneer in community tourism. Bruce started the business 35 years ago with two maxed-out credit cards from his garage in Toronto and has since built a global movement rooted in purpose and impact.

Recently awarded The Officer of The Order of Canada, Bruce returned to the Ecuadorian Amazon, the site of G’s very first trip, to reflect on the company’s legacy and plan for the next 100 years.

In this episode, we discuss Bruce’s approach to leadership, how he built a values-led culture, and what it really takes to create a business that changes lives, within his business as well as so many others.

Bruce's Advice:

• Carve Your Own Path With New Ideas – True entrepreneurship means innovating and standing out from the competition.
• Find Your “Why” – Define your motivation and purpose to stay focused when building your business.
• Know Your Audience – Understanding who you serve is the foundation of successful marketing and growth.
• Define Your Unique Strengths – Highlight your skills and specialties that make your business different.
• Why Your Business Should Exist – Clarify the value and impact your business brings to the world.
• Your Business Reflects You – Every brand is a mirror of its founder’s values and vision.
• Balance Creativity and Strategy – Innovators thrive with ideas, but lasting businesses need both creativity and solid numbers.
• Turn Crisis Into Opportunity – Challenges like the pandemic can fuel innovation and business transformation.
• Human Connection in the Age of AI – In today’s AI-driven world, genuine human relationships and service are what set businesses apart.

FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2024 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’re joined by Richard White, founder of Fathom, the AI-powered meeting assistant that records, transcribes and summarises your video calls so you can focus on the conversation. Previously the founder of UserVoice, Richard brings deep experience in user-centric product design and has built Fathom into one of the fastest-growing tools in the productivity space.

Stay tuned to hear Richard’s insights on the early product decisions that drove Fathom’s breakout growth, why their freemium model worked from day one, and how they engineered virality into the onboarding experience. We also dig into how to build AI products that people actually want to use, why storytelling matters even in a product-led company and how to stay focused on solving real problems in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Richard's Advice:

• When launching a product, make sure it always works - not just some of the time
• Be a target user yourself: what do I value?
• What feels like ‘magic’ and appears to go beyond the possible
• Build things you yourself can and will use
• Word of mouth infinitely more valuable and trustworthy than, for example, an Amazon ‘review’
• When trying out what AI can do for your business be prepared to jettison ideas as you go - sometimes big ones
• Use humans for customer support; this is an area worth investing in

FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2024 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 today’s episode, we’re joined by Daisy Bird, founder of BIRD PR, a creative communications agency specialising in luxury travel and hospitality brands since 2010. 

Daisy leads with a deep belief in the power of culture, emotional intelligence and building a people-first business. After 15 years in business, Daisy is cognisant of the investment this takes as well as the invisible skills a founder has to have to make a business succeed with a happy team as well.

Stay tuned to hear Daisy’s insights on the emotional undercurrent of running a business, why understanding personalities is non-negotiable in service industries, how she interviews, the value of psychometric testing and why investing in people is the best way to future proof your business.

Daisy’s advice: 

• Align yourself with brands you respect
• In this way you will be more effective; integrity matters
• When employing, look for a range of talents and individuality - embrace differences
• Invest in your employees: coaching is helpful for your team in areas like leadership skills and self-awareness
• Wellness retreats are valuable 
• Employ people who are ready to learn and accept feedback
• Encourage and reward employees who consciously add value to prove their worth
• You must delegate; it’s not sustainable to do everything yourself and leaves no room for creativity on your part
• Allow time to replenish yourself
• It’s important to air and discuss female developmental/health stages
• Take care of your loyal clients and don’t give all your attention to the new and exciting ones

FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2024 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’re joined by Rachel Harris, co-founder of striveX & founder of Accountant She. Passionate about financial well-being and running values-led businesses, Rachel has created a modern, cloud‑focused accountancy and tax advisory firm for both businesses and individuals alongside a platform for business owners to find accessible, consumable, financial education. 

Stay tuned to hear Rachel’s advice on the highs and lows of running a business. Why loneliness is something that you should not ignore, what you should ask an accountant when you are vetting your first one, how they can become your business partner, how to manage people within the business, and so much more.

Rachel’s advice:

• Initially decide how much you want to delegate
• Then employ people more intelligent than you, and delegate to them
• When you choose an accountant, choose them according to your plans/expectations for your business; it helps if they can mirror your long-term goals
• Establish your communications preferences at the outset
• Because your accountant will be effectively your partner, research their core values and the infrastructure of their business first
• Check whether or not they outsource work
• Assess their values before you assess their technical competence
• Rachel believes in the value of therapy
• She also believes in regular measuring of KPIs
• A very worthwhile benefits package will attract good employees if they are prepared to work hard for it
• Establish systems and processes to free you up
• Don’t underestimate the personal sacrifice and loneliness that being a founder can bring

FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2024 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

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 Chloë Luxton, founder of Bramley. With sustainability as a top priority, this company is providing customers with botanical magic through natural fragrances, bulk refill pouches, and recycled packaging.

Keep listening to hear how Chloë got started and why slow growth was her friend. Also, her perspective on B Corp and the pros and the cons of getting certified as well as the pros and cons of being a founder and how to manage that isolation that can often feel relentless.

Chloë's Advice: 

• If it’s a good product, free samples will really generate sales and boost reputation
• Keep up with developments in recycling (for example, compostable refill pouches)
• If sustainability is something you believe in, then it will make your choices more straightforward
• Sometimes it’s complicated, but all you can do is make the greener choice
• B-Corp will give your business recognition
• It’s a good idea to make packaging which can serve a second purpose later
• Packaging apart, it’s what’s on the inside - the product itself - that really matters
• Take advantage of networking opportunities; put yourself out there
• To avoid isolation as a single founder, talk issues over with others whenever possible

FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2024 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

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

Support the show

In today’s episode, we hear from Caragh Keane, founder of SUPERKEEN. A shock lupus diagnosis in 2021 turned her world upside down and sparked a radical shift in her lifestyle. 

Refusing to settle for a life dependent on medication and steroids, Caragh took matters into her own hands—turning to food as a tool for healing. What followed was not just a personal transformation, but the birth of SUPERKEEN: a brand on a mission to make healthier, natural food options more accessible, supporting gut health and nourishing the body from the inside out.

Tune in as Caragh shares how adversity became her launchpad, why she believes food is powerful medicine, and what it really takes to build a business with purpose.

Caragh’s advice:

• When you’re new to entrepreneurship, it’s ok not to know everything, eg. sales forecasting
• Don’t strive for perfection straight away because you’ll disappoint yourself; instead, learn and grow steadily
• As you work on building a business, take good care of your own health at the same time
• Story-telling is vital in spreading your message and your mission
• Use a timeline to illustrate why and how you have developed as you have
• In sharing your motives you will allow others to share their own stories, and to identify with you
• Being yourself is not self-promotion, it’s inclusive and brings others in
• Find time to congratulate yourself on your achievements

FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2024 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

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

Support the show

Starting a business is tough & making sales in a challenging economic climate is even harder. So, resilience is key to keeping on track. 

But how can we manage rejection alongside the expected setbacks? To find out, I spoke with Lauren Currie OBE, Founder of UPFRONT, a global organisation upskilling 10 million women. Teams at Nike and Just Eat Takeaway have enrolled their teams in UPFRONT’s Bond course to transform their team culture.

Keep listening to hear Lauren’s advice on developing resilience in sales & when to acknowledge you should probably cut your losses. 

Lauren's advice:

• Your energy is vital to running a business, so manage it
• Avoid those people who drain your energy and seek out those who replenish it
• Marketing equals revenue - the more you do, the more returns you will have
• Accept the loneliness of the founder, which can be hard
• Be comfortable and confident about your pricing
• Also, be very clear about your pricing so the customer doesn’t have to work hard to find it
• When a potential client or customer approaches you for the first time, always ask them how they found you
• Get them to say yes or no as soon as possible!  Don’t spend a long time courting a potential customer - move on to find someone new
• Make life easy for your clients: for example, don’t let them have to work out time differences
• Don’t take rejection personally!
• If you need to make a customer more comfortable, include an older white man face in a call
• Nurture yourself and your energy before you decide to quit: are you tired? Dehydrated? Hungry? 

FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2024 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

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

Support the show

Jamila Brown is an American-German powerhouse who moved to London at 21 and after being told her life was “over” when she became a single mum at 24 — proved everyone wrong.

From running Soho House’s global ESG programme to discovering her knack for freelancing during a sabbatical Jamila’s journey to founding her own impact agency is anything but linear — and that’s exactly why it’s inspiring.

Today, she’s a business owner, a mum of two, a wife and a sustainability and social impact champion. This is an honest, motivating chat about reinvention, resilience, and knowing your worth.

Jamila’s advice: 

• Self-confidence helps!
• As does a sense of purpose/service
• Being vocal makes you visible
• In my case, being a single parent helped concentrate my mind and made me use my time well
• Having good people skills, being outspoken and having drive are all important
• Remember ESG matters, there is a point to it
• I had an idea and a smile - not a website
• Every challenge is an opportunity
• Don’t procrastinate, just do it and you will learn as you go

FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2024 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 today’s episode, I’m joined by Emma and Kenny, the co-founders of HipPop — a gut-friendly drinks brand that’s shaking up the soft drinks aisle. While many might have pigeonholed their product as just kombucha, Emma and Kenny have taken a bold and intentional route: positioning HipPop as a go-to soft drinks brand, not a wellness niche.

We talk about what it takes to enter a new market, how branding beyond a product category can be a superpower, and why really listening to your customer is key. From humble beginnings in a farmhouse to securing shelf space in major retailers, their story is packed with practical insight for anyone launching into a crowded space.

Emma & Kenny's advice:

• Test your products locally, in small independent businesses
• Publicise your ingredients and the provenance of the product
• Try to work within a representative area of the UK
• Look for a gap in the market
• If you have a personal reason for setting up the brand, people will love to hear it
• After rigorous testing, and building a local reputation, move on to website and Facebook marketing
• Gradually approach bigger retailers (you will have to be dogged - and original - in pursuing buyers)
• When you scale, bring in people to cover the skills you don’t have
• As you expand distribution, it’s important to build relationships with the new people you are dealing with; go slowly and patiently
  
  

FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2024 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

Welcome to How To Start Up, the podcast for anyone looking to start & scale their own business. I'm Juliet Fallowfield & today we’re discussing viral marketing with Lucie Macleod, founder of the TikTok sensation, Hair Syrup.

Founded in 2020 with no prior entrepreneurial experience, Lucie combined her understanding of consumer behavior with social media creativity, to turn a handmade hair oil into THE beauty must-have with over 350,000 engaged TikTok followers & rapid, 1,000% year-on-year growth. 

After an appearance on BBC Dragon’s Den, the brand is now on track to hit £6.5 million in revenue by 2026.

To hear our next guest’s answer to Lucie’s question at the end of this ep, just click follow in your podcast directory of choice & you’ll receive a notification from us when it is ready for you to listen. 

Lucie's advice:

• Don’t invest hugely to begin with; start cautiously
• Don’t build on ‘pinterest appeal’ with pretty packaging; functionality is what counts
• Believe in your product
• Stick at it when things get difficult; be dogged
• Tiktok can be good if you strike lucky
• Be very careful spending on advertising as you can lose a lot of money if you’re badly advised
• Also be very careful about the people you surround yourself with; if you wouldn’t be happy with a particular person being in your house, then don’t employ them in your business
• Trust trumps skill
• Learn to step away from your business and fully relax

FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2024 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