Edelman recently reported that ‘81% of consumers need to trust a brand to consider purchasing it’ so it is clear that brands which take time to build impact, education and purpose into their offering will also build trust with consumers and ultimately increase their sales. In this episode, I hear from Titi Bello , Founder of Ori Lifestyle , the luxury hair care brand now stocked in Selfridges and Harrods. Born out of Titi’s experiences with her own hair loss and seeing her daughter develop hair ...
Jun 04, 2024•38 min•Season 10Ep. 8
With Protega Global reporting that 77% of UK consumers believe brands should use ‘as little packaging as possible’, it’s important for new brands to research how to reduce their environmental impact. As packaging can be a huge barrier to entry, I wanted to speak to someone who has created a stunning brand package. In this episode, I hear from Randi Christiansen , CEO & Co-Founder of Néccessaire , one of the world’s leading body care brands. Founded in 2018, Néccessaire provides customers wit...
May 21, 2024•51 min•Season 10Ep. 7
Defining your target audience is key when building your brand as it’s so important to know who you’re selling your products or services to. In this episode, I hear from Aaron Chatterley , co-founder of teen beauty brand indu and beauty retailer Feelunique . Having co-founded Feelunique in 2005, Aaron and his team grew the business which was acquired by Sephora for £132 million in 2021. Since then, Aaron has co-founded indu to create beauty and skincare products tailored specifically to teenage s...
May 07, 2024•40 min•Season 10Ep. 6
With research showing 90% of marketers agree that brand language is vital for business success, your business needs to speak confidently and clearly. Given this, I wanted to learn from an expert on how you can differentiate your brand’s voice in an ever-crowded market. In this episode, we hear from Millie Kendall OBE , renowned brand builder and founder of the British Beauty Council , Brandstand Communications and Ruby & Millie. With a 30-year track record of launching and marketing beauty b...
Apr 23, 2024•36 min•Season 10Ep. 5
We often hear that print newspaper and magazine sales are declining as people switch to digital versions of their favourite titles. However, print still plays an important role in the publishing world and as ‘brand’ is such an important part of this I wanted to speak to someone who had started their own. In this episode, I hear from Lucy Cleland , co-founder and editorial director of the renowned B Corp Certified lifestyle magazine Country & Town House . Lucy co-founded the magazine in 2007,...
Apr 09, 2024•35 min•Season 10Ep. 4
As defining your mission, vision and purpose statements is an important step when building a comprehensive brand for your business I was keen to speak to someone who has not only done this successfully but also recently. In this episode, I hear from Julian Parmiter , co-founder and CEO of Create Academy . Founded in 2019, Create Academy offers beautifully curated video courses providing unprecedented access to the expertise of today’s best designers, makers, gardeners and chefs - with a mission ...
Mar 26, 2024•40 min•Season 10Ep. 3
With Statista reporting there are 35 million Instagram users in the UK, social media platforms are a powerful tool to build brand awareness and convert followers into loyal customers. Given this season is a focus on all things branding I was keen to speak to an expert content creator. In this episode, I hear from Estée Lalonde , CEO and founder of bodycare brand MIRROR WATER . The brand champions mirror work and self-care, inspired by Estée’s quest to find effective relaxation tools during the p...
Mar 12, 2024•37 min•Season 10Ep. 2
Creating a brand story is a central part of building your overall brand identity. It’s crucial that your brand story is coherent and resonates with your audience to attract loyal customers. In this episode, I speak with Tom Marchant , Owner & Co-Founder of luxury travel company Black Tomato . Tom and his co-founders launched their business in 2005 after seeing first-hand how people had such little time to plan their own travel experiences. Since then, Black Tomato has grown exponentially and...
Feb 27, 2024•37 min•Season 10Ep. 1
Once you’ve secured investment and used it to build and scale a profitable business, the time might be right to exit. However, when is the right time to sell? In this episode, I speak with Asher Moses , founder & CEO of Sherbet London , the capital’s leading electric taxi company. A serial entrepreneur, Asher grew his original small fleet of London taxis into one of London’s leading transport companies. Through Sherbet, Asher is future-proofing the iconic London Black Taxi for future generat...
Feb 13, 2024•29 min•Season 9Ep. 13
With Sifted reporting that European startup funding plummeted by 40% in 2023, maintaining open and transparent communication with your investors is vital to maintain such an important relationship. In this episode, I hear from Michelle Kennedy , co-founder and CEO of Peanut , one of the fastest-growing social media apps for women. Michelle launched Peanut in 2017 to help women combat the loneliness that comes with being a new mother. Peanut has raised over $23 million in funding since its incept...
Jan 30, 2024•24 min•Season 9Ep. 12
With over 225 episodes of Dragons’ Den recorded so far, thousands of entrepreneurs have pitched their business ideas to leading investors. However, the show offers a lot more than just investment. In this episode, I hear from Déj Doherty , founder of The Wholeleaf Company , the sustainable palm leaf tableware brand. Déj co-founded his company to reduce the amount of plastic tableware going to landfill, while also creating employment opportunities in developing countries. Appearing on Dragons’ De...
Jan 16, 2024•34 min•Season 9Ep. 11
With episodes of Dragons’ Den often reaching millions of UK viewers, the show is a brilliant platform for entrepreneurs to seek investment while promoting their businesses. So in this episode, I wanted to speak to someone with first hand and recent experience of the show. Rohan Radhakrishnan , is one of the co-founders of Quarter , the acclaimed quarter-strength spirits brand. Having founded their brand in 2021, Rohan and his co-founder Fabian quickly went after an appearance on Dragons’ Den as ...
Jan 02, 2024•29 min•Season 9Ep. 10
UK angel investors collectively invest £1.5 billion per year and are believed to be the largest source of investment for start-up and early-stage companies. Angel investors can bring cash to your business along with contacts and advice too. In this episode, I hear from Mathilde Lacombe , founder of French skincare and supplement brand AIME . Having previously co-founded beauty subscription service Joliebox, Mathilde founded AIME in 2018 to help others overcome similar skincare challenges to hers...
Dec 19, 2023•24 min•Season 9Ep. 9
It has been reported that the value of UK venture capital deals in quarters one to three of 2023 fell by 43.1% year-on-year while the number fell by 25.9% in the same period. However, VC deals are still being struck by innovative businesses. In this episode, I speak with Steve Tidball , co-founder and CEO of Vollebak , the material science-driven clothing brand. Having co-founded in 2015 with his twin brother Nick, the brand has raised over $10m in outside funding, led by the London-based ventur...
Dec 05, 2023•33 min•Season 9Ep. 8
When raising investment, it’s important to present prospective investors with your financial information as clearly as possible. This is where a data room comes into play. In this episode, I speak to Laura Fullerton , the founder and CEO of Monk , creators of the world’s first smart ice bath and cold water therapy app. After discovering that ice baths helped her regain control of her physical and mental health, Laura launched Monk to make cold water therapy more accessible. About to close a £2 m...
Nov 21, 2023•30 min•Season 9Ep. 7
According to Seedrs , investors spend an average of 3 minutes and 44 seconds reviewing a pitch deck so clearly, it’s crucial to create one that is sufficiently brief yet still conveys your business proposition to your target audience. In this episode, I hear from Venetia Archer , founder & CEO of Ruuby , the UK's leading at-home beauty & wellness service founded in 2015. After identifying a gap in the London market for an on-demand beauty app, Ruuby has grown to become the fashion set’s ...
Nov 07, 2023•25 min•Season 9Ep. 6
Although securing cash is the key objective when raising investment, money isn’t the only thing to consider. Many investors can offer vital support and advice too. Michael Tobin OBE is a serial founder, author and non-executive chairman of several international businesses and CEO of technology company Telecity from 2002 to 2015, Michael grew the company from a market cap of £6 million into a FTSE 250 company worth £2 billion. In 2014, Michael was awarded an OBE for services to the UK digital eco...
Oct 24, 2023•35 min•Season 9Ep. 5
Having decided to raise investment for your business, it’s important to prepare your financials so that prospective investors can assess the inner workings of your company. Given everyone can find business finances complex to get their heads around, I wanted to talk to someone who didn’t come from a financial background but has totally smashed it in raising investment efficiently for their business. In this episode, I hear from Daisy Knatchbull , founder of The Deck , the first women’s-only tail...
Oct 10, 2023•43 min•Season 9Ep. 4
Valuing your business is one of the most important yet challenging aspects of raising investment. It’s important to be realistic while also not underselling your proposition. In this episode, I hear from Ed Lee , founder & director of investment and consultancy firm Bowbridge Capital . Ed and his team work alongside business owners to implement growth strategies, build infrastructure, deliver efficiencies and embrace technology, whilst also working closely with them through funding rounds, g...
Sep 26, 2023•35 min•Season 9Ep. 3
One of the most challenging aspects is knowing when the right time is to seek investment for your company. If too early your business may not be ready, however, if too late you may slow down its growth potential. In this episode, I speak with Jo Fairley , co-founder of the renowned chocolate company Green & Blacks . Jo co-founded the business in 1991 with her partner, Craig Sams , to create the world’s first organic chocolate and the UK’s first Fairtrade-marked product. In recognition of her...
Sep 12, 2023•39 min•Season 9Ep. 2
Approaching and meeting investors can be one of the most daunting aspects when growing a company. From knowing where to find the right ones to crafting your elevator pitch, there is a lot to consider. In this episode, I speak with Francesca Smith , founder of Frankie’s : a membership for businesswomen that helps them connect, collaborate and engage with finance. As an experienced strategic financial planner, Francesca is passionate about increasing the amount of investment provided to female fou...
Aug 29, 2023•36 min•Season 9Ep. 1
With Barnardo's reporting that on average clothing items are only worn 7 times before they are thrown away, the fashion industry is clearly responsible for overproduction and excessive use of resources. However, many emerging brands are encouraging their customers to shop more mindfully to reduce their personal environmental impacts so I was keen to speak to an expert to find out more. In this episode, I speak with the founder of the eponymous fashion brand Aoife McNamara who has always placed t...
Aug 15, 2023•27 min•Season 8Ep. 8
When building a business from scratch, founders have an opportunity to consider the environmental impact of all their activities, including work travel. According to Statista research, 81% of global travellers believe sustainable travel is important, however, 43% of respondents to a Booking.com survey said they “never, rarely or sometimes” manage to travel in a sustainable way. In this episode, I speak with Rafael Museri and Daniel Rudasevski : the co-founders of Selina : the travel company comb...
Aug 01, 2023•17 min•Season 8Ep. 7
When starting and scaling your business, it’s important to consider the impact of your supply chain on not only the planet but also people too. 88% of respondents to an OpenText survey said ‘they prioritise buying from companies that have ethical sourcing strategies in place’, while 64% of 18-24 year-olds surveyed said they would never buy from a company again if it were ‘accused of working with unethical suppliers’. In this episode, I speak with Emilie Holmes , founder of Good & Proper Tea ...
Jul 18, 2023•32 min•Season 8Ep. 6
When starting a business, founders have the opportunity to start with a clean slate as well as start as they mean to go on. So the aim of this season is to share as much as we can on how businesses can start with ethical practice at their core. We’re all aware of how certain industries do a lot of damage. For example, fashion is responsible for 10% of global man-made greenhouse gas emissions [ BBC ], however the second any business owners turn on a light, they have a responsibility to the planet...
Jul 04, 2023•39 min•Season 8Ep. 5
Sustainable and ethical behaviour isn’t limited to environmental practices. It translates into all areas of business including providing opportunities for people who may find themselves excluded from the workforce. Alex Head is the founder of the leading sustainable catering company, Social Pantry . As one of the first 15 UK companies employing ex-offenders to be awarded the prestigious YOUNITED Flag award, Social Pantry is a dedicated champion of equity and opportunity within the workforce. In ...
Jun 20, 2023•37 min•Season 8Ep. 4
The amount of plastic produced in a year is roughly the same as the entire weight of humanity. EarthDay.org reported that humans use about 1.2 million plastic bottles per minute in total. Approximately 91% of plastic is not recycled. Everyone is aware that we need to use less plastic every day and new founders have the opportunity to lead the way on this. So for this episode, I wanted to speak to a proven expert on how to solve the packaging problem. Joanna Jensen founded the children’s toiletri...
Jun 06, 2023•34 min•Season 8Ep. 3
A lot of people comment about how lonely becoming self-employed can be. Leaving behind regular structure and income is one thing, but also a lack of community of support can be significant too. In this episode, I speak with two founders who know the importance of community as they’ve built their whole business around it. Diana Stenbolt and Gemma Estrela are the co-founders of the skincare and wellness discovery platform SKINDAYS . Having met at Farfetch, Diana and Gemma shared a frustration with...
May 23, 2023•31 min•Season 8Ep. 2
In this episode, we hear from Jenn McGarrigle , Mica Janiv & Aisling Connaughton : the co-founders of sustainability consultancy CYD Connects . With extensive backgrounds in beauty, technology and sustainability, the team came together in 2019 to help other founders and businesses become more sustainable and benefit a wider group of societal stakeholders other than just shareholders. As experts in becoming B Corp certified, Jenn, Mica and Aisling share practical advice on how to achieve B-Co...
May 09, 2023•36 min•Season 8Ep. 1
In this episode, we hear from Russell Foster, Professor of Circadian Neuroscience and the Head of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford as well as the author of Life Time which explains how our body clocks work. Through his work, Russell has made great advances in our understanding of how the circadian rhythm is generated and how it suffers under societal pressures, ageing and disease. Russell explains why a good night’s sleep is so important, as well as what...
Apr 25, 2023•25 min•Season 7Ep. 8
