How To Start Up by FF&M

In this episode we hear from Amanda McKenna who, as a former co-founder and Board Director of two self-started digital agencies, shares how feeling like she didn't belong in entrepreneurship affected her confidence, how people who don't fit the entrepreneurial stereotype will experience this more acutely and ways we can all tackle this head on. In Amanda’s TED Talk she refers to the Alli...

In this episode we hear from Dora Palfi, founder of Imagilabs , the all-female founded Stockholm-based startup that aims to make coding more accessible to teenage girls. Dora shares how being determined to solve a problem she had identified, ended up in her creating her business idea. She also shares strategies around how to measure your own success as it is important to get job satisfaction and v...

In this episode we hear from Zoe Evans and Nick Rusling who have both started and run their own separate and successful companies, while also enjoying a happy 17 years of marriage and two young children.  They share their perspectives on how they manage the stresses and strains of self-employment while supporting each other within the family too.  Zoe runs Style PR focussing on brand amplification...

In this episode we hear from writer, editor and brand consultant Robin Swithinbank .  Robin has been an employee, an employer and is now a sole trader, so could be said to understand the world of work from all angles. He reminds us that work doesn’t and shouldn’t define us in however we chose to do it.  Robin's advice includes: The entrepreneurial spirit can sometimes mean you’re impatient -...

From forming his own startup at 18 and most recently Co-Founding memmo , today’s guest. Gustav Lundberg Toresson, is a Forbes 30 Under 30 board member and a born entrepreneur.   memmo is a platform where the likes of Sven-Göran Eriksson or Carole Baskin can record personalised video greetings for your own friends or family. With over 50,000 greetings to date, anything from proposals to pep-talks h...

In this episode we hear from Paul Weeden who is the first How To Start Up guest to have not only started a company (at the age of 24) but also to have successfully sold it too.   Paul recognises that being your own boss is not as straightforward as it sounds: as it grows, so do your responsibilities.  Having sold his business, he is now salaried again and is able to offer an interesting perspectiv...

In this episode we hear from Geoffrey Kent , who not only founded world renowned luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent, but is also credited with creating experiential travel as a concept.  I have long admired A&K for being leaders in sustainability across environmental, economic and social responsibilities.  Geoffrey shares his stories and experiences as an entrepreneur of nearly 60 yea...

In this episode we hear from Pip Durell, founder of shirt brand With Nothing Underneath .  She had the brainwave of creating a brand with a focused and particular look, one that is “cool, elegant, ethical and affordable” and she has gone on to do exactly that.  She speaks about fashion fatigue, what it really means to create a brand that is genuinely sustainable and how educating herself, as well...

In this episode we hear from Bahar Etminan who, having been faced with bankruptcy during the global financial crisis, speaks from the heart as a seasoned entrepreneur.  Bahar values hard work and self belief and reminds us that there’s no shame in accepting help.  She talks about how setting up a business is like being in love: if you’ve done it once you can do it again. Rescu is a daily destinati...

In this episode we hear from Awon Golding who arrived in London in 2009 having left her life in Hong Kong to pursue her ambition to be a milliner.  She talks through what she has learnt about balancing being a creative that also has to run a commercial business as well as where she seeks inspiration from.  Awon Golding Millinery is an award-winning brand specialising in fun and fresh made-to-order...

In this episode we hear from Nick Bridle, who having retired from the military, founded Belstone Dart International, a risk management consultancy in 2017.  Nick explains the importance of getting a client to pay for your product or service as soon as possible, as you need to qualify the concept commercially... because until that happens, it doesn’t really matter how pretty your logo is.  He also...

In this episode we hear from Georgina Coke who founded By Georgie in 2015.  George explains how, having been made redundant, she took a step she would never have anticipated.  Prompted by friends she took the plunge to set up on her own and six years later she has no regrets, saying redundancy was the best thing that could have happened to her.  She is the 100% owner of a company which connects lu...

In this episode we hear from Uwern Jong , Experientialist in Chief and co-founder of OutThere magazine .  He talks about why being on your own clock enables a whole new autonomy in how you work, why adopting the slow road may be more rewarding in the end, and why taking time away from work can have a big impact.  Uwern can be contacted at: uwern@outtheremagazine.com For those who have not yet disc...

In this episode I speak with Will Davies , Co-founder and Director of HBD Partners. He shares invaluable advice on the importance of legally protecting your business from the start, also how to manage the pressures and responsibilities of being a new business owner and what steps you can take to look after your teams remotely. HBD Partners is a specialist recruitment consultancy operating within t...

In this episode we hear from Hugo Chance , founder of Chance Capital.   He shares his recommendation about asking advice from your nearest and dearest is not always the best strategy, and maintains that sticking to your pricing structure and building your support network from the start is paramount.  Chance Capital is a corporate advisory firm that assists early stage private companies with busine...

In this episode I speak with Quintin Clover about how he started up Kanallan .  Founded six years ago, Kanallan facilitates tailored independent humanitarian projects for clients to help the most impoverished and neglected people and communities around the world. Using Kanallan ’s established and trusted global network, they ensure direct giving with 100% transparency.  Please do get in touch with...

Today I speak to Tom Fallowfield, founder of Ugli Web Design .  As my brother, he was one of the first people I spoke to about my redundancy. His comment, ‘If you work that hard for other people, why don’t you work that hard for yourself?’ was enough for me to head to Companies House registration page. Here he shares tried & tested experience on pricing, proposals & passwords.  Ugli assist...

In this episode we hear from Anna Fernandez, founder of IZAPA Beauty . She talks through the hows and whys of her ambition to start up her own brand after leaving her marketing director role with CHANEL.  She shares why being a small fish isn’t always the worst thing to be, how moving to a new country has been a major source of inspiration and says her approach of being ‘always on’ actually gives...

In this episode we hear from Steve Johnson, founder of Forager Funds .  Having been self-employed for over twenty years Steve shares advice on how to manage working with a business partner who is first and foremost a friend, why your stakeholders aren't just your clients and that it is critical to learn about how to do recruitment really well in order to be successful.  About Forager :  With...

In this episode we hear from Harry Anscombe , founder of Beagle Media , who create TV documentary series for the likes of BBC2 and Discovery channels and who are celebrating ten years this year. He shares advice on how important it is to get a mentor from the start, why people and processes are as important as the product and generally just how to behave. Harry Anscombe, CEO, Beagle : An independe...

Are you starting a company from scratch and aren’t really sure of what to do first?  Great news! In HOW TO START UP by FF&M you’ll hear interviews with a broad mix of people who have all successfully started, run and even sold, their own businesses or company.  They share not only professional but personal experiences and valuable lessons on what we should be doing now, next or never when star...