How To Start Up by FF&M

Hosted by Juliet Fallowfield

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Episodes

174

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-GB

About the show

How To Start Up is helping founders decide what to do now, next, or never when starting & scaling a business. I'm your host Juliet Fallowfield, founder of the podcast production & PR consultancy Fallow, Field & Mason & my aim is that each episode focuses on solving one clear, specific problem faced by all startup founders & small business owners. And if you can’t find your answer, DM us! Episodes cover practical topics including starting a business, scaling a startup, founder mental health & wellbeing, writing a pitch deck, raising investment, hiring & managing teams, PR & marketing, customer acquisition, & navigating the realities of entrepreneurship. How To Start Up is designed to provide practical startup advice, real-world insights, & reassurance from experienced entrepreneurs, operators, & experts, so founders can make better decisions with confidence. Subscribe to build your startup knowledge & receive invitations to exclusive events. Follow us on Instagram: @fallowfieldmason Guest submissions are welcomed via www.fallowfieldmason.com

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 11, 2026Episode 1635 min

How to get Steven Bartlett to invest with Bethan Higson, Mother Root

One of the biggest pieces of advice you'll hear as a founder is to find a gap in the market. But what if the real opportunity isn't finding a gap at all, it's solving a problem you've experienced yourself? After more than a decade in the wine industry, Bethan Higson became frustrated by the alcohol-free options available during her first pregnancy. Rather than trying to recreate wine or spirits, she wanted to create something entirely different: a drink that delivered the same complexity, ritual and sense of occasion. Two years of experimenting at her kitchen table led to Mother Root, a fiery non-alcoholic aperitif made using ginger and apple cider vinegar. Today, Mother Root is the UK's fastest-growing drinks brand and has rapidly expanded from a direct-to-consumer start-up into major retailers, while scaling even faster in the US than in its home market. In this episode, Bethan shares what it was really like appearing on Dragons' Den , how she secured investment offers from three Dragons, why she ultimately chose Steven Bartlett, and why the deal never completed. We also explore category creation, hiring exceptional people, building momentum with retailers, preparing for explosive growth, and why saying no is one of the most important skills any founder can develop. Bethan's Advice: Build your business around solving a genuine customer problem, rather than chasing a growing market. Adopt a test-and-learn mindset to make faster decisions and reduce the pressure of getting everything right first time. Prepare for success as much as failure by building the systems and team you'll need to handle growth. Hire people whose strengths complement your own, and don't hesitate when you find exceptional talent. Prioritisation is fundamental, stay focused on the opportunities that genuinely move the needle. Learn to say no to those opportunities which won’t further your business in the long term - but do it respectfully. Chapters (00:00) Why finding a gap isn't enough (01:10) Meet Bethan Higson & Mother Root (02:00) Building a business around a real customer problem (05:00) Convincing retailers to back a new category (07:15) Turning a kitchen-table idea into a business (10:00) Founder fears, boundaries & obsession (14:00) Behind the scenes of Dragons' Den (19:15) Choosing Steven Bartlett as an investor (22:00) Preparing your business for explosive growth (26:00) Scaling Mother Root in the UK & US (28:00) Why every founder should "test and learn" (29:30) Hiring exceptional people (30:30) Why saying no is a founder's superpower (32:00) Finding the right COO & business partner (34:00) Bethan's question for the next guest FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts. https://www.fallowfieldmason.com Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason. Email us at hello@fallowfieldmason.com or DM us on Instagram @fallowfieldmason. MUSIC CREDIT: Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod. Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail Support the show

July 28, 2026Episode 1531 min

How to build a brand through PR & VIP, with Kate Halfpenny, Halfpenny London

Before Kate Halfpenny designed wedding dresses, she dressed Kate Moss, Rihanna and Cate Blanchett for a living. That client list didn't just shape her design eye, it built her a reputation before she'd designed a single dress for the public. When a commission for actress Emilia Fox in 2005 became the foundation of Halfpenny London, Kate already understood something most founders take years to learn: proximity to the right person, at the right moment, is one of the most powerful and least controllable forms of PR there is. Kate's Advice: Build a reputation through consistently exceptional work, not just advertising Paid marketing creates visibility, but trust has to be earned Word of mouth can't be controlled. Focus on creating work people genuinely want to recommend Choose collaborators because they're the right fit, not because they're famous Audiences can feel the difference between genuine love for a brand and being paid to wear it Be crystal clear about who your brand is for. It protects you from the wrong partnerships One great PR moment opens the door, but consistency is what keeps people coming back Never compromise the integrity of your product simply to gain attention Bring experienced external leadership into your business sooner than you think Treat mistakes as part of building a business. They're lessons, not failures Protect time for your personal life before your business takes all of it Don't compare your journey to everyone else's, especially on social media Chapters (00:00) Why reputation beats advertising (01:25) Meet Kate Halfpenny (02:00) Building a brand through reputation (05:00) How Emilia Fox launched Halfpenny London (08:15) Why authentic celebrity PR is priceless (10:05) Choosing the right influencers (13:00) Celebrity marketing mistakes founders make (15:00) Turning one PR moment into a 20-year brand (18:00) PR, social media and luxury branding (20:30) Founder storytelling and personal brands (23:00) Growing Halfpenny internationally (24:30) The leadership mistake Kate would change (28:00) Work-life balance as a founder (29:30) Kate's question for the next guest FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts. https://www.fallowfieldmason.com Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason. Email us at hello@fallowfieldmason.com or DM us on Instagram @fallowfieldmason. MUSIC CREDIT: Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod. Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail Support the show

July 14, 2026Episode 1431 min

How a career built on calm couldn't fix her own insomnia with Hayley Dawes, Dreem Distillery

Every guest on this podcast talks about looking after yourself and your sleep when starting a business so I was keen to speak to someone who has first hand experience in losing it, how to get it back & making a business from it too. Hayley Dawes spent years designing beautiful, calming homes for other people. She couldn't find a moment of that calm for herself. A mother of four and a long-time entrepreneur, Hayley battled chronic insomnia that began to affect every part of her life. The thing that finally shifted it was broad-spectrum CBD and plant actives, used properly and consistently. That personal discovery became Dreem Distillery, a science-led luxury sleep brand now known for its award-winning Night Drops Sleep Oil and, this year, a new magnesium body butter, Dreem Melt. This is a story about building a business out of a problem you genuinely couldn't solve any other way, and what happens when your professional skill and your personal life are pulling in completely opposite directions. Hayley's advice: Protect your sleep as fiercely as you protect your business Working harder works... until suddenly it doesn't Small daily habits ("micro moments") can have a huge impact on your nervous system Don't underestimate the power of a daily walk, movement and natural daylight to regulate your nervous system Build a business around solving a genuine problem Work with experts when you're entering an unfamiliar industry Never compromise on quality – from your product to your branding and packaging Building a business teaches resilience Prioritising yourself allows you to perform better in every area of your life FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason. Email us at hello@fallowfieldmason.com or DM us on Instagram @fallowfieldmason. MUSIC CREDIT: Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod. Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail Support the show

June 30, 2026Episode 1336 min

How (& why) to build a second business with Laura Butler-Madden, GROVE England

Laura Butler-Madden is an award-winning interior designer with 14 years of expertise restoring and transforming period properties. Laura hasn't left her design career. She's simply added a second one. For anyone starting a business, this may feel like a lot given how many hats you’re already wearing, so I was keen to chat to her about why and how she decided to do this. Keep listening to hear a practical guide on how to build a second career alongside your first. Laura's advice: Just because you can do something well doesn’t mean you should be doing it Go for what makes you happy and contented And simultaneously look for a gap in the market When you are in control of a business, you can shed the extra processes As long as you have the basics - like understanding spreadsheets - you can manage You don’t need a big team - but it also means you have no support group So you do need to be resilient to do everything yourself Patience and resilience are vital - just keep going! At first, there may be more lows than highs The big plus is the freedom Make sure you relax sometimes And acknowledge how far you’ve come 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. 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

June 16, 2026Episode 1228 min

How to turn waste > revenue & family founder farming, Le Prunier's Jacqueline Taylor

Most founders start with an idea & go looking for an ingredient. The Taylor sisters started with the ingredient and had to build everything else around it. Their family has farmed plums in Northern California for four generations. For most of that time, the plum pits were just waste. Le Prunier turned them into the hero ingredient of an organic, luxury skincare line that now sits in goop, Anthropologie, Neiman Marcus & Bloomingdales. Allison came in from fashion and brand development, having worked at Giorgio Armani and MOTHER Denim. Jacqueline is a UCLA grad with a science background and culinary training. And rounding out the trio is their sister Elaine, who brings experience from two previous CPG brands and heads up finance and operations. This is a story about vertical integration before it was a trend, about patience in product development, and about what farming actually teaches you that business school doesn't. Jackie's advice: 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. 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

June 2, 2026Episode 1140 min

How to pivot in your mid-life, Jo Glynn-Smith, The Ascent Associates

Jo Glynn-Smith is a coach & specialises in leadership growth, career transition and personal transformation, working with people to navigate change. Alongside her coaching practice she hosts The Midlife Entrepreneur podcast, which explores the shift from corporate life into entrepreneurship, so is perfectly placed to guide us through how to pivot in mid-life & address how listeners might honestly assess whether they are ready to do the same. Keep listening to hear a practical guide on ‘how to pivot’ Jo's advice: When considering a career change or starting a business in mid-life, be wary of a dramatic move which can be risky Consider your reasons for wanting change Make a list of the pros and cons of your current job Identify the aspects of your work you love the most/dislike the most Consider taking a sabbatical Consider whether it’s the pace of your current work/the way you currently work that is making you unhappy - not the work itself Coaching can help you identify the problems You will need to plan ahead financially and work out how long you can manage without an income Once you know this you can make a plan - Retrain? Have coaching? Undertake research? Be self-aware: will you be happier with a co-founder or a partner? Find people doing what you’re interested in, and talk to them at length Many skills are transferable - you will be competent in various fields Growth and learning are constant in everybody’s lives Self-belief can be the hardest attribute to find; use a coach to help you examine your successes Think about: what you love/what the world needs/what you can get paid for/what you are good at Finding your new identity and building a reputation takes time - expect this Create your own brand story Enjoy your autonomy 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. 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

May 19, 2026Episode 1046 min

How to think like a CFO when you're a founder with Thea Brook, CALMM

According to the Office for National Statistics, only around four in ten UK businesses live to see their fifth birthday. And for most of the ones that do make it, the bottleneck isn’t the market - it’s the founder. Our guest today learned that the hard way. Thea Brook spent over a decade as a CFO scaling startups into the tens of millions, built her own restaurants and product brands, and then ran the conventional playbook of working harder and growing faster straight into burnout and a brain haemorrhage. She rebuilt from scratch, and founded CALMM - now giving more than 250 founder-led businesses senior leadership brains on tap across strategy, ops, marketing, people and finance. Her blunt lesson: the skills that got you here are rarely the ones that get you past here. Thea's course can be found www.theabrook.com/workshop Thea's advice: When scaling, look inside your own business to find solutions: keep looking within Make the most of what you have already and your assets Recognise that it’s not all about starting a business and being an entrepreneur, it’s about owning a business The visionary side of things can be stimulating and fun - but the operating, the actual doing, can be hard Allow yourself strategic thinking time: assess your thinking and your doing Always accept you’re learning and never be afraid to ask questions 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. 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

May 5, 2026Episode 928 min

How to overcome founder loneliness, with Emmie Faust, founder of Female Founders Rise

In this episode I'm joined by Emmie Faust , serial entrepreneur, investor in over 30 women-founded businesses & founder of Female Founders Rise, the 11,000-strong UK community supporting female entrepreneurs. Emmie is also the author of the newly published RISE Report , the largest independent study of female entrepreneurship in the UK & this is the first time she's sharing its findings on a podcast. We talk about why she built Female Founders Rise after a post-COVID breakdown, why she believes peer networks matter more than funding & why she is, very purposefully, a solo founder on her 11th business. What we cover: Why Emmie started Female Founders Rise after a breakdown, and why she never intended it to become a business The four pillars of Female Founders Rise: community, funding, fundamentals and awareness Key findings from the RISE Report, including the £310 billion opportunity for the UK economy Why 80% of young people can't name a female entrepreneur, and what the ecosystem needs to do about it Loneliness as the single biggest challenge for one in seven female founders Why peer networks outperform family, friends and even funding as the most valuable founder support The case against co-founders, and how to build a support structure without one Why "networking" is a dirty word, and what to call it instead Emmie's advice for first-time female founders: build in public, stay curious, and launch before it's perfect If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. It genuinely helps other founders find the show. How To Start Up is produced by Fallow, Field & Mason. If you'd like help launching your own podcast, or doing your own PR in-house, visit fallowfieldmason.com. Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail Support the show

April 21, 2026Episode 838 min

How to grow a brand with intent, Izipizi: Charles Brun

Charles Brun, co-founder of IZIPIZI, talks about how to start a brand from a simple idea and grow it into a global consumer business without losing sight of the initial values. This episode is about spotting overlooked opportunities, building a brand around design and accessibility and scaling internationally while staying true to the original idea. Keep listening to hear how IZIPIZI turned an everyday functional product into a global lifestyle brand - and what founders can learn about how to start a brand that truly resonates with consumers. Charles’ advice: Considerations like carbon footprint, sustainable delivery routes, general effect on the environment all contributed to our decisions and led to gaining B-corp certification We also find it important to consider the team and the staff and make sure this company is a great one to work for, with a positive atmosphere Our customers need good value/good quality product/good design; we need a good place to work From the outset we intended to make this product in a good way; we need the team to be happy We consider each other and make allowances for each other’s personal needs We had great mentors who gave us an education in producing and marketing something It’s important to keep talking to each other - sharing both the good things and the problems It’s also useful to network and meet other founders Always look around and consider other brands and the competition Take your time choosing your partners and have a strong partnership agreement in place Start marketing your product through the right outlets; be selective Every so often take a break with your partners away from the business and discuss long-term plans Always put the team before the product 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. 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

April 7, 2026Episode 729 min

How to: build a truly consumer-led business, Nick Croft-Simon, White Rabbit

Nick Croft-Simon, is the co-founder & CEO of White Rabbit, the UK’s largest gluten free pizza brand & the No.1 contributor to growth in the category. But this is a conversation about more than pizza. It’s about how to build a truly consumer-led business. From building their own gluten free bakery to making the controversial data-led decision to introduce meat SKUs after starting as veggie and vegan this episode is about ownership, agility and listening hard when your customer speaks. If you want to understand what “consumer-led” really means in practice - not just in a pitch deck - keep listening. Nick's advice: Always listen to the consumer Aim high and don’t compromise You need your consumer to come back a second time Once convinced, your customers will spread the word and be your best advertisement Trust is everything Trade events can be useful if you choose very specific ones A consumer panel has been good for us; invite them to look closely at new products / question them exhaustively / listen to their answers. Honest feedback is gold Always put quality before everything else 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. 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