Connie Nam founded Astrid & Miyu from her flat in Notting Hill in 2012, with a £500 website and a bold £2,000-a-month bet on PR she funded from her own savings. Since then, the brand has grown to 30+ international stores and a reported £50 million in turnover.

In this episode, Connie breaks down how she built an entirely new jewellery category from scratch, why it took 11 years (not a viral moment) before she felt like she'd actually launched, and the naive assumptions that nearly sank her US and Middle East expansions. She also shares her honest take on why taking investment you don't need might be the biggest mistake a founder can make, and the line she now lives by when it comes to protecting company culture: it takes hundreds of people to build it, and only one to ruin it.

In this episode we cover:

• The moment Astrid & Miyu really took off, and why brand awareness changed everything
• How to find people as passionate as you and filter out bad apples
• How to stand out in an overcrowded market
• The realities of launching in the US and what it took to get there
• Top founder tips for building a business that lasts

If you’re starting out and you feel like your growth is stunted, this one’s for you!

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introducing Connie Nam

01:51 Starting A Category Scratch

03:05 Taking A Risk on PR

04:44 Making Your First Hire

06:21 Finding Your USP

10:16 Competitor Mindset

14:18 Steady Growth Middle

17:39 The Launch of Astrid & Miyu Piercing

20:00 Expanding Into The US

25:32 Creating The Why For Investment

27:55 What’s Next For Astrid & Miyu

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connienam/

Astrid & Miyu: https://www.instagram.com/astridandmiyu/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unboxed_podcast

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