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

Today we’re joined by Maxine Laceby, co-founder of premium liquid collagen brand Absolute Collagen. Having launched her business in May 2017 at the age of 49, following a period of 25 years as a full-time mum, Maxine scaled her brand from kitchen-table startup to a multi-million pound brand within two years.

Maxine has created one of the UK’s fastest-growing direct-to-consumer brands while managing both ADHD and dyslexia. Today she shares her advice for new entrepreneurs on building a business later in life and her insights into managing exponential growth within an e-commerce business. 

Maxine’s advice: 

• Remember to be your authentic self, don’t attempt to imitate others
• Be honest about what you don’t know
• Employ people who you think are morally good; though it sounds naive, those are the people you will want to surround yourself with on a daily basis and represent your company
• It takes a lot of courage when you've started a business to delegate and hand over the reins to somebody that you think is capable, but it is important to realise when someone else can do a certain job better than you can
• Your brand must represent you; don’t be false
• When you have complete faith in your product, then have the courage to showcase it
• Make the time to network with like-minded people
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions; do not leave a meeting until you understand everything or else that time would have been wasted
• Have fun with your business 

If you’d like to contact Maxine, 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 Mariella Tandy, founder of fine jewellery brand, Alemdara as well as executive retail editor of Country & Townhouse magazine. 

Alemdara was founded in 2015, inspired by a bracelet given to her by her Turkish mother-in-law who insisted she needed to wear it during her first pregnancy. Today she shares her advice on how she always knew she would be a founder, why failing is good and why your gut feeling is key at all times.

Mariella’s advice:

• You can always change things about your business
• Don’t be afraid to launch your brand and adapt it as you progress and gain more exposure, it doesn’t have to be perfect, just get going 
• Always ask questions, people are happy to give advice  
• Outsource if you don't know something to ensure work is done to a high standard
• Be comfortable with trying things out; not everything is going to work out, but you have to be at peace with that
• Be up for failing. It is always better to have tried something and for it to fail than to not try at all; there is no shame in failure and you will always learn from it
• Try and block out external critics and focus on moving forward with your vision 
• Be sure of your product and keep assessing the market
• Use an email marketing strategy to keep in touch with your customers
• Trust your gut feeling 

If you’d like to contact Mariella, 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 & 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

Today we’re joined by Wizz Selvey, Founder & CEO of luxury brand and retail consultancy WIZZ&CO. As a former Head of Beauty at Selfridges and Director of Cowshed Beauty and Soho Home, Wizz has accumulated an extraordinary understanding of the luxury retail landscape from her 15 years of industry experience. 

Through WIZZ&CO, she shares with clients what works and what doesn’t when scaling luxury direct-to-consumer brands and what to consider when planning omnichannel retail strategies. 

Wizz kindly offers insights into the importance of placing your customer at the centre of all decisions you make and what to consider when devising a clear retail strategy. 

Wizz’s advice: 

• Surround yourself with networks of people who are also entrepreneurs
• Define your USP and identify your market 
• Look at consumer trends to find the gap in the market 
• Create strict boundaries with yourself 
• Find time to sit with yourself: try yoga or meditation to help find that balance between work and your personal time 
• Plan your week in advance; highlighting what key things are going to move your business forward
• Break down projects into more manageable chunks 
• Don’t listen to the advice of too many different people
• Try a morning routine to set yourself up, possibly including exercise
• Carry a small To Do list with you - small so you are able to complete it 
• Make sure you are connecting with your customer emotively rather than just through facts
• Free resources mentioned:

- Free retail and consumer trend webinar to future-proof your business
- Hype your brand masterclass for independent brands “Learn how to create a disruptive brand to get your customers raving about you”
- The ultimate guide to finding your USP 

If you'd like to contact Wizz, 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 & 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

Today we hear from Sadie Reid, founder of digital health and wellness magazine Hip & Healthy and co-founder of women’s sustainable luxury loungewear brand Luxe + Hardy. Having previously worked at Condé Nast Traveller magazines, Sadie founded Hip & Healthy in January 2012 to inspire readers to be the best version of themselves. Now regarded as the UK’s premier online health and wellbeing platform, Sadie also went on to co-found luxury loungewear brand Luxe + Hardy in July 2018. Sadie shares her advice on how to define success and how to take care of yourself too.

Sadie’s advice:

• Accept failure as part your day-to-day life in business; failure is inevitable and instructive
• Don’t worry about failing publicly: no-one’s looking
• Don’t doubt yourself
• Don’t try to do too much too soon, focus on one thing and do it really well 
• Success is being able to achieve work/life balance and personal happiness
• Don’t underestimate the importance of supporting your team at the beginning
• Flexi-working is helpful and healthy for everyone
• Don’t answer emails in a hurry because you may miss something and have to spend time amending them later 
• It’s essential to nourish your body and drink enough water to avoid burnout; sleep is obviously important too
• Recognise when you’ve been working hard and don’t be afraid to take your foot off the pedal; reward yourself with proper holidays

If you’d like to contact Sadie, 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 & 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 Belinda Everingham, founder and CEO of Australian natural products brand Bondi Wash. Founded in 2013, as a natural alternative to chemical-laden products that continually caused her headaches, Belinda began experimenting with essential oils and Australian botanicals in her kitchen and soon decided to leave her management consulting career behind to take the leap to start Bondi Wash.

Belinda shares with us her advice on how to fight your corner when a huge competitor doesn’t play ball, more details on trademarking and why there is always a silver lining to any crisis in a startup.

Belinda’s advice:

• Do you research when it comes to trademarking 
• Get your brand name right early on
• Check for global trademarking 
• Seek legal advice that can support your business 
• Focus on doing one thing at a time really well 
• Trust your gut feeling when it comes to listening to advice 
• Get good at hiring
• Mistakes will always have a silver lining
• Practicse the Pareto principle - focus 80% of your energy on 20% of the most important things 
• Financial success is important but only because it gives you the freedom to do more with your brand’s journey
• Be aware of what you’re trying to achieve and conscious of how to enjoy the business 
• Get pricing right early on, as it's not easy to change
• Ask for honest feedback and listen to everyone who is keen to offer it 
• Different parts of the business will need your attention at different times 
• A part of your business will always be in crisis but investing the time in solutions is always worth it for the long run 

If you’d like to contact Belinda you can her reach 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.

Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2022 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason. Edited and managed by Milun Haggipavlou.

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 Geordie Mackay-Lewis and Jimmy Carroll, co-founders of bespoke travel and yachting company, Pelorus. Taking a unique approach to business, rooted in the core values gained from their military careers, Geordie and Jimmy speak on how the pandemic allowed them to slow down and build, the importance of recruiting a dependable team and the impact that advisory boards have had on the growth of their business. 

Geordie & Jimmy’s advice:

• Plan in redundancies so when the unforeseen happens, and it will, you’re covered
• It is crucial to have a good team; a tough recruitment process pays off
• Go for people with entrepreneurial flair; trust and empower them to act alone
• Welcome mistakes as you will all learn from them; conduct regular reviews so that lessons are learnt
• Staff benefits should be aligned to the ethos of the company: we give our staff time off to devote to conservation work
• We also encourage them to get out of the office (although some prefer office routines); be flexible about this
• Spend as much time acquiring clients as you do staff
• An advisory board can be invaluable, manned by those with useful experience in different fields.  If appropriate, they can become stakeholders in the company - although many will be happy to give you free advice
• Private investors may want a say in how the company is run
• Building a brand identity is important and worth taking time over - vital when you come to sell the company
• Be prepared for crises; accept the fact that things will happen you can’t plan for
• On the basis that disaster can strike at any time, enjoy what you do to the full
• Finally, stick at it - it will be worth the risk

If you'd like to contact Jimmy or Geordie 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 Ben Watkiss, co-founder of British backpack and holdall brand Stubble & Co. Founded in March 2017 with his wife Victoria,  Stubble & Co blends functionality and performance to create durable bags that are perfect for any occasion. 

Following a consultancy career of over 10 years, it was on a holiday in the Philippines that Ben and Victoria decided it was time to follow their passion and build a brand of their own. Having been consistently let down by bags whilst travelling the world with work and personal adventures, they saw a gap in the market for an aspirational yet affordable option that could be trusted and put customers first.

Ben shares with us his advice on why clearly defining your brand with a long-term view is so important and why going via the kickstarter route can be a great way to get going with your business. 

Ben's advice:

• Be sure there’s a market and a need for your product
• Be sure you can reach that market
• If you go the crowd funding route it’s very public, so:
• Be brave and get off to a good start
  • Make sure your product is as good as it possibly can be
  • Make sure the way you present the product is as clear as it can be
  • Reach as many people as you can, identify everyone possible to drive awareness
• If you have done as much as you can, then you can be proud of the outcome, whatever happens
• Having launched, be ready to make changes if necessary
• Always be open to feedback, your customers’ opinions  are crucial (Typeform is a useful tool which makes surveys user-friendly)
• Try to maintain personal contact with your customers
• If you’re thinking of starting, start - but start relatively small
• Always look hard at the data to drive efficiencies and improvements
• Follow your instincts
• You will never have enough time, but recruit people you can trust and look after them
• There will always be problems, but the successful companies are the ones which solve their problems effectively

If you’d like to hear more from Ben, you can reach him via [email protected]

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, 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 Melissa Hobson, a self-employed specialist copywriter and PR consultant working with for-purpose organisations.  Driven by her passion for marine conservation, Melissa pursued self-employment in February 2021 to support organisations that are making a positive difference to the oceans, the planet and people’s lives. 

Melissa shares with us her advice for founders seeking to avoid greenwashing and authentically implement environmentally-friendly processes within their businesses. 

Melissa’s advice:

• Putting your own needs first will often lead to the best results for your business and clients 
• Never mislead or exaggerate
• Think about sustainability from a consumer perspective; check the Green Claims Code to ensure none of your claims could be misinterpreted
• Setting stringent standards will encourage potential clients to raise their own
• Have a purpose/mission-led business to really enjoy your work
• In the interests of work/life balance, create boundaries for yourself; for example I always have an ‘out of office’ on to limit the amount of time I spend on email and to filter out unnecessary communications
• Connect with other sole traders when you need inspiration or advice
• Charge a fee for people who would like to ‘pick your brains’ as your time is valuable
• Utilise Zoom to manage your time and only attend face to face events that truly add value to your business
• Immediately set tax aside when you receive an invoice to avoid hassle further down the line
• Don’t be afraid to be honest about parts of your business you wish were more successful 
• Keep a log of all the small green things you do that make a difference; you’d be surprised by how they add up

If you’d like to contact Melissa 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.

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