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 hello@fallowfieldmason.com 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

Welcome to How To Start Up — the podcast that dives into the real stories behind the startups, side hustles & self-made successes.

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 hello@fallowfieldmason.com 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 hello@fallowfieldmason.com 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

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 hello@fallowfieldmason.com 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

Building a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand offers an incredible opportunity to connect with customers and foster long-term brand loyalty. But while the rewards can be significant, so too are the challenges and barriers to entry. That’s why I wanted to speak with someone who has successfully navigated this journey for our season focus on sales.

From modest beginnings in a Shoreditch coffee shop in 2011, David Abrahamovitch has built Grind into one of the UK’s leading DTC coffee brands. Having built a hugely loyal customer base, it’s estimated a Grind coffee is enjoyed every 2.8 seconds in the UK. David’s business has also grown through partnerships with the likes of British Airways & Soho House.

Keep listening to hear David’s advice on how to build a DTC brand & how to leverage community-building to generate sales.

David’s advice:

1. Accept that everything is sales; sell to yourself constantly
2. With every small sale you are building a following and a brand
3. Pitching your product should not worry you; you know more than anyone else about it, so you have nothing to fear
4. Always know your numbers; but also tell the story of the history of the brand, and your plans for its future
5. Be optimistic - but not delusional!
6. DTC is more work in that you have to have a website / attract people to that website / and deal with the packaging and the posting
7. Whereas selling through a retailer you only need to advertise the product
8. BUT DTC gives you access to customers’ data and allows you to build a relationship with them
9. So selling through both the above is perhaps optimal
10. Advertising is essential for DTC selling - Facebook / Instagram / email / tube car panels are all useful; expect to spend up to 30% of revenue on marketing which will be a constant burden
11. Retaining customers is everything; the product must be a good one
12. If customers unsubscribe, find out why so that you can fix the problem
13. Use AI to help with small repetitive edits, not to replace people, just to speed up what they do
14. In order to attract young talent, create a culture that they will understand and like; always be thoughtful with your team and make sure they understand their job, their position and the company mission

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 hello@fallowfieldmason.com or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason.

FF&M recommends:

• 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

PWC reports that over 80% of consumers are willing to pay higher prices for sustainably produced goods so environmental responsibility is clearly a lucrative business as well as being the right thing to do.

Laura Harnett is the Founder of Seep, the only B Corp-certified, plastic-free cleaning tool brand in Europe. Having raised a £50,000 Dragons’ Den investment from Trinny Woodall & Deborah Meaden, Laura & her team are on a mission to stop 1 billion plastic cleaning tools from entering landfill by 2030.

Keep listening to hear Laura’s advice on learning how to sell as a first-time founder & how to make your sales process as sustainable as possible.

Laura's advice:

• As a challenger brand, having spotted a gap in the market you will need to ensure you are confident about your supply chain, packaging, etc. before you approach retailers
• Selling direct to customers via a website is a great way to gain approval / test - and perfect - your product / do some market research
• When iterating products, try them out with your direct customers
• The evidence of your DTC sales enables you to approach big retailers with confidence
• Target your marketing emails carefully and thoughtfully
• Persevere with this; it can take time
• Facebook and Instagram ads are helpful
• You will find other founders provide you with advice and support

FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason. Email us at hello@fallowfieldmason.com 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

Starting a business is a huge effort, but scaling it to new heights takes a great deal of skill. So, I wanted to hear from a serial founder who has not only grown and scaled a multi-million-pound business, but also decided to start from scratch and do it again.

Guy Blaskey founded healthy pet food business Pooch & Mutt in 2007. Having scaled it to £30 million in sales, he sold the business in 2023 for £11.5 million. Since then, Guy has founded Detrash to upcycle waste products into high quality watches.

Keep listening to hear Guy’s advice on what he learnt about a sales strategy, selling a business & why laying the operational foundations is one of the most important things you can do.

Guy’s advice:

• Think about how you can do things differently
• Don’t spend too long on your business plan; get going and make a plan afterwards
• If you need a retailer, remember it’s less about the product (and less about you) and more about what makes your buyer’s life easy: filling a gap in their range, price point etc. Think about them
• Always think about your customer and how you can help them achieve a result
• It takes time and rigour - and some failures - to get everything right and become a strong business
• You need a strong understanding of the finances; it’s not just about the brand
• Budget properly; predict sales and follow through
• Don’t overfund early on; if you start small you can track the money and see what works and what doesn’t
• Produce the product and get going with a small budget before considering looking for VC
• Marketing and distribution channels are quite as important as the product
• Work on your business rather than in your business; in other words, delegate the knowables

FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2025 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason. Email us at hello@fallowfieldmason.com or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason.

FF&M recommends:
Buzzsprout for directory listing
Zencastr for recording remotely

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

When it comes to bringing a product to market, there are lots of aspects to consider before it reaches the shelves.

To learn more, I wanted to hear from someone who has successfully launched products to market. Kinga Wilewska is the Founder & CEO of MUJO, the adaptogenic coffee alternative packed with vital nutrients. Having watched her dad lose his fight against cancer, Kinga developed a keen interest in adaptogens & set out to bring truly transformational products to market.

Keep listening to hear Kinga’s advice on sourcing feedback on your products & how to begin making sales.

Kinga's advice:

• Always pay attention to costs
• Spend time sourcing ingredients carefully
• Research your market thoroughly and understand where the gaps are
• Speak to strangers about what propels them to buy / what are their priorities / what packaging appeals to them
• Pay continual attention to feedback
• Communicate with your buyers; see your product as a service for them
• Refine your pitch and your website to suit your market
• Your brand needs to inspire trust and exude authority
• Always put quality over quantity
• Believe absolutely in your product yourself
• Be disciplined and honest with yourself (eg when you need help)
• Use Facebook to advertise - rather than use an agency (this can minimise spend and maximise reach)
• Minimise risks for first time buyers: guarantee them money back and absorb the shipping costs yourself
• Always be ready to learn some new way of reaching your market

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 hello@fallowfieldmason.com 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