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Lydia Bolton 

About this episode

We were honoured to welcome Lydia Bolton into the Club to share her incredible founder story during this very special live episode of the podcast.

From realities of working in the industry as a fresh fashion grad, to the moment she realised she had a responsibility as a founder to create the designs and changes in the industry that she want's to see.

Since this moment Lydia has taken the industry by storm and become a leading force for upcycling movement. Not only creating her own sell out line, but making huge changes by collaborating with major fashion brands (such as as Nike) create real impact at the core of the industry.

This journey really showcases the real and raw realities of growing a business, with the need to balance various roles to make ends meet and the need to learn the business skills to turn your passion into a successful venture.

Included in this episode:

• Lydia's realisation after leaving University that it wasn't going to be easy to secure a job in the industry.
• The reality of taking the first steps in the fashion industry by having to work full time in a pub every evening and all day in an internship in the day.
• The moment she realised she needed to follow her values and make a change in the industry "as a designer it's your responsibility to create what you believe in".
• Leaving her internship to focus on growing her own brand whilst still working full time in the pub. Seeing starting a business a her own internship in business.
• After completing a sustainability in fashion course she discovered exactly what she wanted to you. She focused on giving life to the clothes in charity shops that people didn't want to buy. Contacted Trade and gathered the textiles they knew wouldn't sell, and offered a donation.
• After seeing Lydia's University final year showcase, Lydia was contacted by an Artist who was playing at Glastonbury and asked for Lydia to create a piece for her to wear.
• Learning how to make it into a business. Lydia soon realised she needed to up-skill and learn how to sell if she was going to make it successful.
• Core lesson during lockdown that she needed to create pieces that people wanted, rather than just created lines for her own pleasure.
• She needed to become a brand, rather than be seen as a hobbiest.
• As she worked more on her brand identity she was approach by Nike for a collaboration in store. This snowballed into being approached by many more brands. Lydia puts this down to being clear on her purpose and communicating it clearly.
• Lydia's passion for working with bigger fashion brands as she knows she can reach new audiences of those who are less sustainably minded and make a bigger impact.
• Lydia's thoughts on the future of sustainable fashion: Creative thinking around serious issues and the need to lean towards transparency.

Discover more about Jenna O'Keefe

Follow Jenna on Instagram.

Discover Uncommon folk.

In this episode:

• More about Jenna and get journey to become a leading confidence coach, including understanding her own mindset blocks
• Creative motivation and what’s at the core of losing your spark
• Tools and tips to stop being demotivated:
• Tip: Take the emotion and shame out of it. We often make ourselves feel worse as we are in a society where we always need to be productive.
• Tip: Set the bar low. Stop trying to start at the end and do it all (e.g. if you haven't been going to the gym, go once, don't set out to go every day)
• Tip: Understand your body and your productivity (Cyclical productivity). Stop trying to push through.
• Tip: Zoom out - look at the bigger picture. Stop letting the small things stop you. Practice patience.
• Build resilience /confidence. - Learn from failures and don't hide away if you fail.

Explore Daye: https://yourdaye.com/

Follow Daye: https://www.instagram.com/meetdaye/

Want to join live podcast episodes? Explore Uncommon Club.

Included in this episode:

• The purpose behind Daye and why Valentina wanted to make a change in women's health.
• The first steps Valentina took to build the innovative CBD tampons.
• How Valentina built the prototypes on her kitchen table
• How she funded the first prototypes and business at the beginning
• A real look into securing seed funding, including how she built her pitch, who she approached and a behind the scenes.
• The reality of investment of females. Only 1.8% of all funding goes to female founders.
• Securing 4.2 million in seed funding and the next steps in building the brand.
• Putting a team together (including operations, brand, design engineering)
• How Valentina started marketing the brand. Finding what worked (SEO/organic through a value-added blog, influencers) and what didn't (PR). 
• Going against investor opinion and taking on an artists to build the brand and making a change in women's health product branding. 
• Launching with a subscription model.
• The reality of launching a purpose-led brand that hasn't been done so far. Battling the many barriers of women and working so hard (high levels of stress) that Valentina developed quite serious physical health conditions.
• Learning how to manage stress of being a founder.
• Highs, lows, and lessons learnt from the journey.
  
   

Episode links:

Kira's website: https://www.kiramatthews.com/

Kira's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirathebold/

Future self 90 day journal: https://www.kiramatthews.com/shop/p/the-future-self-guide-book

Episode overview:

Introduction to Kira Matthews and her mission

Confidence as a founder, including:

- How it doesn't have to be something you hold all the time

- Confidence of being yourself - find your unique strengths and don't try and embody someone else's confidence.

- Sometimes confidence doesn't even matter, it's about taking steps in fear and growing.

Why journalling is so important

Three journal prompts that may help you scale, including:

- write 7 wins and acknowledge your part in it

- how can the challenges you are facing now help you in achieving your goal

- how is your product/service the best option for your customer - write down 10 reasons

Episode links

Women + Waves: https://womenandwavessociety.com/

Women + Waves Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenandwaves/

Uncommon Folk: https://uncommon-folk.com/

What to expect in this episode:

• How it all began - defying tradition and following your true passion
• The start of the community - how to build a really engaging community online and off line
• The H&M collaboration - how it happened and what it's like to work with a major brand
• When Covid hit - how they continued the community through a global pandemic
• Dealing with imposter syndrome int eh lifestyle industry
• The challenges as a founder
  Her top tips for other founders

Be gone are the glory days of scaling an Instagram at pace with relatively minimal effort. Now it feels like you can spend hours in crafting exceptional content, just for it to land straight in the abyss.

In this episode we are joined by Instagram and overall marketing specialist to understand how we can get the spice back in the platform and get some home her top three tips to nail Instagram for business.

We discuss:

The mindset shift needed. The platform has changed in purpose, we need to start meeting how it can field our business.

Top three tips.

1. Choose your lane - go for A grade content and post a few times a week or C grade and keep it regular.
2. Treat Instagram like a Facebook community. 
3. Treat followers like potential leads.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Drop us a DM @un.common.folk.

From cacao brownie to peanut raspberry, if you have managed to grab a Squirrel Sisters snack, you will know exactly why they have become an award winning food brand. But it goes beyond this, although they have seen great success, they are on a mission to educate and offer truly healthy options to consumers.

From co-founding the company at home with her sister Sophie, you will now see the Squirrel Sisters range in over 2000 leading stores (from Waitrose to Selfridges), but there really has been one hell of a journey to get there. 

In this *live* recording we have an open and honest conversation with Gracie to get a  behind the scenes on what it really takes to go from your kitchen table to the supermarket shelves. 

The episode is jam packed with insights, tips and advice on scaling a purpose-led brand and what it's really like to see your brand on the shelves of major stockists. 

Included in the episode:

• How the company started and why their mission is so important to the sisters
• How they approached their first retailers, and the clever tactic they used to stand out against the crowd
• Tips and advice on branding and what works in the food industry
• Their biggest marketing success that you can use in your own business
• The realities of being stocked in major retailers and the underlying costs.

Has the noise and demand of social media meant you have skipped PR and traditional methods (think TV, radio, digital & print publications) in your strategy and solely focused on other channels to gain brand awareness?

Does even the thought of gaining PR and putting yourself out there give you an absolute fear fest which makes you avoid it even more?!

We hear you. We’ve all been taught that the media is scary. A place for celebrities to get shamed and outed.

It also seems a little dated, right?

Well, it’s time to change these thoughts.

Traditional marketing methods are still at the forefront of brand awareness and one of the best ways to get in front of your ideal audience.

Just like any other marketing channel, you just have to approach it strategically and confidently. You are interesting and you do have a story to tell, people want to hear about your journey and business purpose.

We first met Charlie (Founder of Seafoam PR) during our COVID lockdown (1.0) support sessions over in The Hangout. Charlie kindly offers 1-2 coaching sessions for group members to open the conversation on communication and traditional media. We quickly found that most, if not all, of the business owners we connected with were not considering traditional media/marketing within their strategy. So we thought it was about time we started the conversation.

This podcast does just that. We hope it sparks those initial thoughts of introducing traditional media methods into your overall marketing strategy.

In February 2019, Banana Scoops was just an outrageously innovative concept that Jess had been thinking about whilst working her “normal job”. A concept that created “nice cream” from bananas and other natural ingredients to make a “healthy” alternative to our favourite chilled treat.

Fast forward to just a year later and tubs of delicious Banana Scoops can now be seen in the freezer aisle in major retailers such as Ocado, Planet Organic and As Nature Intended.

What’s so outstanding about this achievement is that Jess managed to do all of this on her own. No team, no huge budget, just a lot of hard work and a strong want to create the highest quality product.

We chat to Jess to see just how she has managed to do all this on her own and what it’s like to connect with such major national brands. How she managed the many barriers and lessons thrown her way, and what advice she can offer to anyone looking to grow a start up to such a scale in one year without a team behind them.

Here’s just a snippet of the advice Jess offered during our chat….

Retailers won’t chase you, you have to put yourself out there, grab hold of opportunities (even if it’s slightly terrifying!) and push for your brand to be noticed.

When chasing suppliers, don’t follow up with a “just chasing the previous email” type of email. Always add additional value. Offer new developments, press articles, social engagement and just general good news pieces. You need to grab their attention and offer increased value on every touchpoint.

Don’t let a lack of funds/human resource/skill set stop you. Jess put together a basic brand design herself to get going, she then pulled upon connections to get where she is now. Branding is vital in standing out as a food product, but you can add to your brand with a really quality product, an innovative product, and your passion. You can then pay an expert when you have the funds.

Jess offers SO many more valuable insights as to how she has managed to achieved such a major milestone so early on. It is also so interesting to hear the process that goes behind meeting and getting the go ahead from a major brand.

These special footnote episodes are additional to our usual Journals, as we open up the discussion on a particular topic faced by creatives caring their own path. 

Even though this episode seems like the perfect start, it’s also a slightly unusual start as we are discussing the very end of a business, and open up on the realities of closing a successful business. More so, when is it right to push through when you feel that niggle to give it up, or do you follow your gut and close when the passion and energy for the business fades.

If you managed to catch the last episode, you would have heard my chat with Lucy Elliott, and how she ditched the London life to grow a large-scale chocolate business, Creighton’s Chocolaterie.

Even though that was only recorded at Christmas last year, things have changed quite dramatically for Lucy. 

I won’t go into the specifics now, as you’ll hear all about it in the episode, but the conversation went beyond the actual aspects of closing a company down. We discuss that horrible niggling feeling when the passion starts to die; when the fun creative elements of a business turn into business realities of balancing the books, paying those massive VAT bills; and the constant pressure to evolve and stay relevant. 

These feelings come and go in all of us, but when do you know when it’s time to make a change?

We also discuss why there is SUCH a huge pressure on the self-employed to keep going. Why is closing a business always seen as negative? It doesn’t always mean the business is failing, it might just mean that you want to change, to pivot, and to explore your options as you move into different stages of your life. 

I am so grateful for Lucy’s honesty during this chat. We cover so many important topics that many, if not all of us face, and really open up on making these big decisions. 

I must add, this is not a negative episode, even if we do have a good rant at times. It’s about listening to your own intuition, really reflecting and making the best decision for you. Also taking away the element that closing a business doesn’t mean your business hasn’t been successful, far from it in Lucy’s case. 

Let me know what you think, I’d love to know if you’ve encountered any of these feelings in your journey.

I have lusted after Lucy’s divine chocolate for a long while now. If the insanely beautiful packaging doesn’t get you, then the completely unique flavours will. I mean, choosing between ramen noodles and a breakfast bar was one of the biggest decisions I have ever made.

We were so interested in hearing Lucy’s story and how she’d dragged the chocolate scene into the 21st century at such a rapid pace.

We managed to grab a chat with Lucy just before Christmas last year (how did lockdown manage to make half a year whizz by without us really even knowing). It was obviously a really busy time for Lucy to take a moment out (sorry Lucy!), but what the next few months would bring couldn’t have been predicted by any of us. More on that at the end of this blog (little cliff hanger for you there).

Out of interest of learning more about the art of chocolate (after running a food blog on the side of a retail job), Lucy and her Mum enrolled on a chocolate making course. Little did they know that within 6 months they would be handed the keys to their first shop and they would be at the start of building the Creighton’s brand.

In our chat with Lucy, we discover more about those early days that led to the creations of Creighton’s, and more importantly, how they grew from that single shop in Leighton Buzzard to stocking in over 200 stores across the globe. Alongside product collaborations with huge brands such as TeaPigs.

We are obsessed with the brand that Lucy has developed through pure creative innovation. She utilised her small business status to move fast in the industry and stand out against the huge competitors.

So, I mentioned that there was a twist. Well, it’s a big one.

With the impact of COVID-19 and a few other reasons, Lucy has decided to close Creighton’s Chocolaterie. This isn’t a negative, far from it. Lucy is closing the business to pivot her focus (we know you’ll all love it!). We’ll be revealing all very soon!

In the meantime, we really hope you love this journey. Lucy is FULL of business wisdom from almost 10 years of growing Creighton’s to the huge success it has seen today (all whilst becoming a Mother, closing shops, opening factories, the list goes on!).

For more creative entrepreneurial success stories, check out https://www.create-collective.com.

It didn’t take long for Lucy to realise that there was much more out there for her than the corporate agency life. After being consistently told to stay late and miss birthdays, and important life events, Lucy took that leap to take back control of her own life.

Initially she went to work part-time for renowned food blogger, Madeleine Shaw and added to her already established digital skill set whilst building the foundations of her own venture, Sassy Digital.

Lucy set out to shake the negative connotations of a digital agency and completely flip it on its head. Creating a completely personal, quality, and unique digital marketing service that became an extension of her clients team. At its core, Lucy wanted to ensure everyone had the chance to access the digital marketing services they needed, from a bespoke package, to free guidance on her blog “Sassy Bites”. She would keep her internal team small, and then outsource work to hand-selected freelancers that would perfectly match the services her clients need.

Lucy soon attracted clients, from personal branding projects to social media management. But, as Lucy is very open to admit, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. There were hard times when start-up cash-flow was tight, retainer clients (long-term clients that offer a regular payment) were lost, and Lucy considered on many occasions to give up in those early and go back to a stable career that would be “easier” (and would bring in a lot more money in those early days!).

But, Lucy (and her family) had said she would stick it out for 5 years to see where it could go. AND THANK GOD SHE DID. Lucy turned a massive corner as she onboarded some huge clients, that has lead to Lucy leading the way in the marketing of emerging fashion brands. She is the go-to person for stand out fashion branding and e-commerce that has combined Lucy’s two loves and carved her dream career path. Of course, Sassy Digital works across other various sectors, but surely it seemed so fitting that a sassy businesses ended up in fashion!

What does she put this success down to? Well, people. Lucy lets us in on why face-to-face human connection, friends (special shoutout to her best mate & fellow Founder Natalie of Stay Wild Swim), and moving close to those networks has been the ultimate game changer for her. Proving that although she specialises in digital marketing, growing a business is ALL about human connection.

Lucy is SO open about the ups and downs of starting and successfully growing a business, and my god, it’s so refreshing. We will all have those days where we want an easier ride, but with determination, a strong work ethic, and hangouts in Soho House* (*this may not apply to all) you’ll power through and eventually carve a dream career.

Oh, and if you’ve seen Lucy’s work with brands such as Stay Wild Swim, but haven’t quite got the budget for the full Sassy service yet - well Lucy has your back. She’s launched the ultimate range of guides, templates and bespoke logos so everyone can access a bit of the Sassy magic.

**Please note - we recorded this episode in a quiet meeting room in London. But, we didn’t counter in that it would be the home of the world’s largest and noisiest aircon machine. What ever we tried to quiet the beast it just got angrier! SO please acceot our apologies for the hum in the background.

If you are anything like me, when you graduated from University, you were pretty young, naive and not 100% on where to turn next.

This certainly was not the case for this week’s podcast guest. After a very brief stint with a travel and fashion magazine, Angelica knew she needed to follow her desire for creative freedom and pursue a career as an entrepreneur.

Quickly spotting a gap in the market, in March 2014, Angelica took the leap and launched About Time Magazine. That digital site that offered everything it was “about time” you did in London. Personal, well-curated, and to the point the site soon took off as Angelica and her team of writers offered the very best unique options for Londoners and tourists alike.

As Angelica details in the podcast, it was not easy feet. She navigated her way through the challenges many businesses owners face, such as; building a team, making some initial mistakes when approaching brands, and finding her place as a Founder.

Well, overcoming those challenges paid off. About Time magazine has built a loyal audience and has a monthly readership of 85,000, alongside over 100,000 followers on social media. Taking the decision work out of what to do in your free time, it has become the go to site for time-poor Londoners.

By March 2019, as About Time Magazine grew in followers and writers (with over 90 now contributing), Angelica looked to other projects. After witnessing the demand for more offline interactions, Angelica launched the About Time Academy. The Academy would be a curation of live panel events, masterclasses and talks by leading experts, entrepreneurs and leaders.

After a successful series of events, Angelica has now evolved the Academy to include her passion for supporting fellow female entrepreneurs. September 2019 saw the first #shestarteditlive festival which was a one-day festival dedicated to the future of women in work.

Angelica’s incredible work has not gone unnoticed, as she’s featured in major publications such as Forbes, Elle Magazine and Real Business to name a few.

We obviously HAD to chat with Angelica and not only find out how she managed to become such a multi-business powerhouse, but also discover the realities behind starting a business fresh from University. Angelica offers incredible insight into the lessons she has learnt along the way (including how to be a Manager when you really just want to be mates with everyone!) and gives an insight on more incredible business ventures she has planned for the future.

**Please note, we recorded this in March knowing that the episode would go out after the March She Started It Live Festival. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Angelica had to postpone the festival for the safety of everyone involved. So, there is some talk about the upcoming festivals. I hope you can understand that we have kept it in as there will be many more festivals in the future, and we are very much behind this innovative concept!*

Sophie’s story is one packed with underlying personal purpose. Purpose that eventually become her ultimate identity as a brand and what made her stand out from the rest.

We first got in contact with Sophie to see if she’d be keen to design the artwork for this podcast. Thankfully, she agreed! She was the ultimate dream to work with, and by scrolling through her work and seeing all the massive brands Sophie is now linked to, we knew we had to find out how she did it.

Again, we were pretty thankful when Sophie agreed again! But, she made it pretty clear that she wanted to share the reality behind where she is now. Although she has over 28k follower on IG, she has only just taken the leap to be completely full-time as an illustrator.

Sophie’s story is SO inspiration, and one that so many people can benefit from. With many creatives supporting their growth with part-time roles, Sophie describes how having part-time work is nothing to be embarrassed of, it’s essential to keep your creative career going, and can actually be beneficial to keeping you on track. A secure, stable income from creative business can take time, and in order to make it, you have to support it.

From her degree in Fashion (taken from people pushing her towards more “career-focused industries at the time), Sophie always had a passion for promoting feminism and breaking many taboos. Little did she know, that those early University projects would be what defined her design style in years to come and see her build a career from a creative passion that, in those early days, she thought was massively out of sight.

Fast-forward to now, and Sophie has worked with huge companies such as SkinnyDip London, Misguided and Durex, to name just a few. Her style is now well and truly cemented in the modern feminist movement, with her designs defining a new generation of thinking. Sophie is now being snapped up by major brands for live event illustrations, so we’re excited to see who she works with next as she evolves her business in this direction.

We had an awesome time catching up with Sophie to find out how she has gone from a fashion degree to taking the leap to move to London to follow her passion for design; and how she supported the growth of her business in those early days.

Sophie shares some real insights as to what she’s learnt from being self-employed; from the need to make friends in the industry, to learning how to price her work.

Thanks again Sophie, we’ll be hitting you up soon for some more design work!