Welcome to the Busi-ness Podcast.

Jess Schuring grew up in Germany, lived in LA and founded Heartcore, a dynamic blend of Pilates, Yoga, dance and movement, in London. Bringing inspiration from the sunshine state, Heartcore strives to create a better way for people to create balance in their bodies and minds and now boasts 7 studios across the city and a dedicated global community. We chatted about why fitness shouldn’t be scary and how Heartcore has inspired so many by leading with the heart. Jess talks candidly about wasting money, accepting and understanding why not everyone is on the journey with you and why building a business can be lonely at times. She talks passionately of the importance of being open about our mental health, particularly in light of the past couple of years, and making mindfulness more accessible.

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Welcome to the Busi-ness Podcast.

Will Woodhams was appointed CEO of luxury, invitation-only bookmakers Fitzdares in 2018, entering the betting industry after a succession of marketing and advisory roles in fashion, luxury goods and high-end brands. Will, who is a real hero of mine, took the time to catch up with me on his 20 year career. We talked about the importance of presenting a more realistic viewpoint of running a business, including winging it, the smoke and mirrors in business and having the confidence to counteract feelings of fraudulence. Will chatted to me about our new obsession with young entrepreneurs and why they should prioritise their personal lives more. Will’s approach to business is refreshing, citing the importance of adaptability and agility, being able to take a call from anywhere, including a jet ski and simple, getting the fuck on.

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Welcome to the Busi-ness Podcast.

Daniel Price founded My 1st Years with close friend Jonny Sitton in 2011, after struggling to find a meaningful gift for a friend’s newborn baby. Cue a set of personalised baby shoes made by the duo, which both delighted their friends and sparked requests from friends and family across the globe and My 1st Years was born. A decade later, the business is worth well over £20 million. But despite being the number one personalised children’s gift brand and loved by celebrities, after overcoming the challenges of Covid the brand faced a devastating setback after a fire destroyed their head office and distribution centre. 

Since speaking to Daniel, and after four months of being unable to take orders, My 1st Years is back in business, with a new look and new products and a fantastic attitude. We talk winging it, important hires and running a business with your best friend. I hope you enjoy listening to this inspirational story.

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Welcome to the Busi-ness Podcast.

Maggie Bolger launched B_together, a design-led, intergenerational family club and neighbourhood destination, following her exit as Co-founder and Creative Director of her first family club venture, Maggie & Rose. B_Together is a progressive thought leader of early childhood education, has family focused interior design and a superior members club. Maggie is a mum on a mission, raising 4 children of her own. We chatted believing in your product, the importance of good investors, mum guilt, unhelpful advice, and the balancing act of raising a family and building a business.

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Welcome to Season 2 of the Busi-Ness Podcast.

Ben Lebus is the founder and director of MOB Kitchen and a number one best-selling author with over five published books. Having taken the social media world by storm with his one minute how to make recipe videos, Ben launched MOB Kitchen to show how cooking healthy, delicious food is easy, affordable and fun.

We talked about how to work out which social media platforms to focus on, how quickly things change, why you always have to be five steps ahead, what innovation looks like in this category and how to run the business remotely in COVID. When I recorded this with Ben, he was keen to move office, which he has now done in real life. The business is growing, the team is expanding and Ben isn't slowing down. Having captured the student market, MOB Kitchen is set for growth and I'm sure this exciting business journey will inspire you.

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Welcome to Season 2 of the Busi-Ness Podcast.

Jeremy May and Lucy Wright founded NICE Wines to create Wine For Whenever, For The Wins, The Woes and Why Nots. The co-founders talked about their working dynamic, why they love real time, honest feedback, how their best investments have been in their team, and how they look for character over skill set. We chatted about competition, why staying on Instagram has its merits, the challenges of the category and the opportunities for them, and of course, how to raise money, and where to get it from. You likely will have seen NICE in a supermarket, a picnic basket or in a magazine, as the brand continues to dominate across the UK.

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Welcome to Season 2 of the Busi-Ness Podcast.

Connie Nam was born in Seoul and raised in Washington D.C. and Seattle. The hustle and bustle of the cosmopolitan city of London appealed to her and the lust for learning and growing enticed her to apply for the MBA at London Business School. She longed to turn her passion for business and love of unique, contemporary jewellery styles into a bonefide company of her own. Immediately after graduating, her dream became a reality and she founded Astrid & Miyu in 2012. She talked passionately with me about the growth of the business, how her background helped her negotiate with investors, how the business has just announced revenues of over £10million and what it’s like to open a 7th store in a pandemic.

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Welcome to Season 2 of the Busi-Ness Podcast.

Fresh off the back of a casual $25 million fundraise, Jules Miller found the time in her busy schedule to catch up with me about the enormous success of her company The Nue Co, which is redefining supplements - the way we feel about them. Jules chatted to me about her own personal story, how The Nue Co was a business started due to her own experiences with IBS, and her need for a kinder, better supplement.

Jules wants to fundamentally and positively impact our behaviours and attitudes towards supplements, and believes that she has hired the best possible team around her, to enable her to develop the best products. We chatted about mental health, running a business with your partner, moving to New York, learning on the job, and the incredible growth the brand has seen, globally. Jules is hugely humble and hugely inspiring, and I hope you enjoy listening to her story.

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Welcome to Season 2 of the Busi-Ness Podcast.

Freddy and Charlie founded Wild Cosmetics, a new sustainable natural deodorant delivered straight to your door Aluminium free with compostable plastic, free refills and a 100% effective formula. I caught up with the boys on how they created such an innovative product, why design is at the heart of the brand, and how they originally came up with the idea and where the gap in the market.

We talked about greenwashing, the negative impact of what is currently available on the market and how their biggest investment has gone into products and packaging. Freddy and Charlie shared with me that saying no has been the hardest skill to learn and in continuing to have focus on one product, ensuring it succeeds, has been critical to their strategy. The brand is hugely popular and highly visible on social media, in magazines and amongst celebrities. And with new products in the pipeline, I have no doubt that wild cosmetics will continue to be a success story.

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Welcome to Season 2 of the Busi-Ness Podcast.

I am so excited to be able to capture this conversation with the inspirational MD of L’Occitane, Alia Hawa. I was so looking forward to hearing her story, and was absolutely not disappointed. A mother and businesswoman, Alia cares so deeply for those around her, and has not been exempt from the horrors of the last 18 months.

We talked about tears, switching off, grafting to get noticed, how investing in relationships pays dividends, and how to care for a business, even when it is not your own. To give you an idea of scale, the L’Occitane Group is comprised of six leading natural beauty brands and a global network of more than 3,000 retail outlets in 90 countries. That’s a lot of people. Alia explained to me how her day runs, how she keeps doing it all despite being so busy, and what lessons women can learn from each other to continue to push boundaries in the boardroom.

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