Have you ever wondered what really goes on when a beauty brand tries to score a spot onto the hallowed shelves of Harrods or Space NK? Catherine Bossom has not only had a front-row seat, she’s also played a starring role. From her early days as a graduate trainee at Harrods, to senior buying positions at Space NK and Selfridges, she has spent twenty years in the thick of luxury beauty retail — and has lived to tell the tale.

Now, as the guiding spirit behind her consultancy, Yellow Flamingo, Catherine helps bewildered founders untangle the riddle of what buyers actually want (hint: not what you imagine). In this conversation, we chat about how a brand’s story is often far more seductive than the quality of its product line, that personal connections are massively overrated, and the brutal reality of what retail can and can't do for your sales figures.

From the days when buyers had to physically cross continents in search of the next great discovery, to today’s overcrowded marketplace where every buyer is positively snowed under with pitches, Catherine offers an insider’s view — witty, unsparing, and utterly invaluable to anyone tempted to storm the beauty shelves. We also talk about Catherine's own business journey and how a family tragedy spurred her on to take the road less travelled.

yellowflamingo.org

In this episode, we sit down with Anna Teal, CEO of Grown Alchemist, to chat about her incredible journey from traditional retail at Boots to leading one of the most innovative biotech beauty brands on the market today.

Anna shares the reality of transitioning from corporate to small business life and how emotional investment becomes everything when you're running your own show. We dive into Grown Alchemist's unconventional approach to demographics – moving beyond just age and location, to tapping into what their customers actual passions are, which has resulted in a number of successful brand partnerships in fitness, music and travel.

But this conversation goes beyond business strategy. Anna gets refreshingly honest about overcoming public speaking anxiety, the game-changing concept of creating your own "personal board of directors," and why she believes mindset is more important than tactics when it comes to success.

grownalchemist.com

Meet Lizzie Ostrom, the pioneering fragrance specialist and writer, who helped revolutionise how we experience perfume. Known by her stage-persona "Odette Toilette", Lizzie identified a crucial gap in the fragrance world fifteen years ago and created her fun experimental fragrance events, where she would mix fragrance with subjects like psychology, music and cinema. She is also the author of Perfume: A Century of Scents which tells the stories of one hundred fragrances through ten pivotal decades of the twentieth century (including the iconic 99p body spray of the 1990s: Impulse 02).

We explore how her background in PR and early exposure to online fragrance communities led to her breakthrough realisation that there was nowhere to engage with perfume in a relaxed, accessible way outside of intimidating beauty counters.

She also shares the story behind her groundbreaking Somerset House exhibition and reflects on what made her events so popular. We also touch on creativity, entrepreneurship and the art of making meaningful connections through scent.

We sit down with Suzy Griffin Dunne, founder of Irish makeup brand Hildun Beauty, to explore what it really takes to build a successful makeup brand from scratch. Suzy shares her fascinating journey from beauty writer to brand founder, revealing why she started Hildun Beauty during maternity leave with just two eyeliner pencils that she sent to makeup artists who didn't know her from Adam.

We dive deep into the complex world of beauty manufacturing, discussing why Korean labs excel at innovative formulas while Italian and German manufacturers lead in pencils and traditional products. Suzy explains her philosophy of working with specialist manufacturers for each product category to ensure exceptional quality, even though it creates logistical headaches.

We also explore her successful collaboration with makeup artist Hannah Martin, the thriving Irish beauty scene where authenticity reigns supreme, and how she's built a loyal community that provides constant feedback. Our chat offers genuine insights into the challenges of founder-led beauty brands, from navigating manufacturer relationships to building resilience in a competitive industry.

hildunbeauty.co.uk

Instagram: @hildunbeauty

Sophie King went from corporate life to building a fragrance empire with over 145K YouTube subscribers and her brand SOKI London, but her journey wasn't linear. After surviving meningitis and a week-long coma, Sophie found the courage to pursue her passion for perfume, launching both a successful YouTube channel and her own fragrance brand. This is a conversation about turning passion into profit, building genuine connections with your audience, and why sometimes the biggest challenges lead to the greatest breakthroughs.

In this episode, we explore how a life-threatening illness became the catalyst for entrepreneurship, her approach to building authentic connections versus polished perfection, and how she deals with fake reviews and online criticism as a founder. Sophie shares why she continues to review competitors' products on her own channel, the realities of self-funding a fragrance business, and her unique approach to fragrance education that cuts through marketing fluff. We also discuss her upcoming retail partnerships, expansion plans, and what's next for the brand as she continues to democratise the often intimidating world of perfume.

sokilondon.com / youtube.com/sokilondon

Sarah Rotheram has spent her career breathing new life into some of the world's most beloved fragrance houses, including Penhaligon's and Creed. In this conversation, she reveals the secrets behind modernising heritage brands without losing their soul - from her essential "who we are, who we are not" exercise to why she interviews hundreds of frontline staff before writing any strategy. Sarah shares her philosophy on leading with creativity over data, explaining why the best commercial successes come from passion and gut instinct rather than endless PowerPoint presentations.

We dive deep into one of the most ingenious marketing campaigns I've ever heard of - the Juniper Sling launch that turned a zero-budget challenge into a sold-out speakeasy experience in a Fitzrovia car park. Sarah also opens up about the personal side of building a career in luxury beauty, from overcoming imposter syndrome to her biggest regret about waiting to have children. Whether you're building a brand, leading a team, or navigating your own creative career, this episode is packed with wisdom about staying authentic whilst driving commercial success.

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What happens when hardcore pornography becomes sex education by default? Cindy Gallop has spent 16 years fighting to change that. In this essential conversation, the founder and CEO of Make Love Not Porn explains why her platform showing real-world, loving sexual relationships is more urgent than ever. From the rise of incel culture to shows like 'Adolescence,' Cindy breaks down how the absence of honest conversations about sex is shaping an entire generation, and shares her accidental journey from a viral TED Talk to creating what she calls the "documentary" to porn's "Hollywood blockbuster."

We dive deep into why love needs to come before sex in education, the shocking barriers female-led sexual wellness companies face while erectile dysfunction solutions advertise freely, and real stories of trauma survivors finding healing through authentic representation. Cindy's mission to "socialise, normalise, and destigmatise sex" offers a thoughtful alternative to both moral panic and uncritical sex positivity, while her upcoming Make Love Not Porn Academy aims to arm parents and educators with the tools for honest conversations about sexuality, relationships, and digital culture. Whether you're a parent, educator, or simply someone navigating modern relationships, this conversation will change how you think about sex, love, and body positivity in the digital age.

Content Warning: This episode contains sexually explicit themes and strong language.

MakeLoveNotPorn.com | @CindyGallop | @MakeLoveNotPorn

Ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes in perfumery? Our latest episode with fragrance educator and author Karen Gilbert helps lift the lid on the "smoke and mirrors" world of fragrance.

From accidentally falling into perfumery to becoming one of the most respected voices in fragrance education, Karen talks about why that "pheromone perfume" trend is complete nonsense, how your nose is basically connected to your emotions and memories, the shocking truth about how commercial fragrances are REALLY made, and why scent is literally the best salesperson for your products.

Karen has authored several books including "Perfume: the Art and Craft of Fragrance" and hosts her own podcast, The Perfume Making Podcast. She teaches perfumery worldwide from her scent studio in the New Forest.

If you want to start a perfume brand, curious about how a perfume gets made or just love learning about the power of scent, this episode is for you.

karengilbert.co.uk

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/scent-as-story-how-to-build-a-brand-that-captivates/id1693602939?i=1000677264386

What are beauty buyers really looking for? In this episode, Viola sits down with Louisa Harris, Beauty Director at Debenhams, for an insightful conversation about her remarkable 15-year journey through the beauty retail industry. From working weekends at the YSL counter in Boots to leading beauty strategy at Debenhams, Louisa shares her career progression through Harvey Nichols, House of Fraser, QVC, and seven transformative years at Cult Beauty during its meteoric rise from startup to acquisition by THG.

Louisa reveals what beauty buyers really look for when evaluating new brands, the biggest mistakes brands make when pitching, and how TikTok has disrupted traditional retail forecasting. We explore evolving customer behaviours, the intersection of beauty and wellness as a growth area, her current beauty favourites from MAC to Veronique Gabai fragrances, and her thoughts on the future of beauty retail – including AI's role in customer decision-making.

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“I went in with a mindset very much of how can I leave people better off for me having been here.”

Really delighted to talk to Lee Pycroft a renowned makeup artist turned registered psychotherapist who has worked with A-list celebrities as well as the top supermodels of the 90s – Cindy and Claudia to name but a few. While people are quick to dismiss the beauty world as ‘frivolous fun’ or ‘shallow’, Lee talks about how beauty rituals can be a valid form of therapy, as made evident through her charity work with vulnerable communities such as domestic abuse survivors and war veterans – which caused her to eventually retrain as a Human Givens Therapist. She now combines her beauty expertise with therapeutic principles to help people understand how daily rituals can support mental wellbeing – which many brands can take note from when it comes to storytelling and customer engagement. Lee explains how she transitioned into therapy, the psychology behind beauty rituals, and her vision for the industry's future role in mental health support. Hope you enjoy this insightful and inspiring talk as much as we did!

leepycroft.co.uk / @leepycroft