Welcome to How to Start Up, the podcast that goes beyond the headlines to uncover how startups really begin, straight from the founders who lived it. I’m Juliet Fallowfield, founder of FF&M, where we empower you to take charge of your PR and launch your podcast with confidence.

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Chloë Luxton, founder of Bramley. With sustainability as a top priority, this company is providing customers with botanical magic through natural fragrances, bulk refill pouches, and recycled packaging.

Keep listening to hear how Chloë got started and why slow growth was her friend. Also, her perspective on B Corp and the pros and the cons of getting certified as well as the pros and cons of being a founder and how to manage that isolation that can often feel relentless.

Chloë's Advice:

• If it’s a good product, free samples will really generate sales and boost reputation
• Keep up with developments in recycling (for example, compostable refill pouches)
• If sustainability is something you believe in, then it will make your choices more straightforward
• Sometimes it’s complicated, but all you can do is make the greener choice
• B-Corp will give your business recognition
• It’s a good idea to make packaging which can serve a second purpose later
• Packaging apart, it’s what’s on the inside - the product itself - that really matters
• Take advantage of networking opportunities; put yourself out there
• To avoid isolation as a single founder, talk issues over with others whenever possible

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

In today’s episode, we hear from Caragh Keane, founder of SUPERKEEN. A shock lupus diagnosis in 2021 turned her world upside down and sparked a radical shift in her lifestyle.

Refusing to settle for a life dependent on medication and steroids, Caragh took matters into her own hands—turning to food as a tool for healing. What followed was not just a personal transformation, but the birth of SUPERKEEN: a brand on a mission to make healthier, natural food options more accessible, supporting gut health and nourishing the body from the inside out.

Tune in as Caragh shares how adversity became her launchpad, why she believes food is powerful medicine, and what it really takes to build a business with purpose.

Caragh’s advice:

• When you’re new to entrepreneurship, it’s ok not to know everything, eg. sales forecasting
• Don’t strive for perfection straight away because you’ll disappoint yourself; instead, learn and grow steadily
• As you work on building a business, take good care of your own health at the same time
• Story-telling is vital in spreading your message and your mission
• Use a timeline to illustrate why and how you have developed as you have
• In sharing your motives you will allow others to share their own stories, and to identify with you
• Being yourself is not self-promotion, it’s inclusive and brings others in
• Find time to congratulate yourself on your achievements

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

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