How To Start Up by FF&M

Hosted by Juliet Fallowfield

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Episodes

169

Latest episode

Jun 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

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 & LicenceText us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan MailSupport 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 riskyConsider your reasons for wanting changeMake a list of the pros and cons of your current jobIdentify the aspects of your work you love the most/dislike the mostConsider taking a sabbaticalConsider whether it’s the pace of your current work/the way you currently work that is making you unhappy - not the work itselfCoaching can help you identify the problemsYou will need to plan ahead financially and work out how long you can manage without an incomeOnce 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 lengthMany skills are transferable - you will be competent in various fieldsGrowth and learning are constant in everybody’s livesSelf-belief can be the hardest attribute to find; use a coach to help you examine your successesThink about: what you love/what the world needs/what you can get paid for/what you are good atFinding your new identity and building a reputation takes time - expect thisCreate your own brand storyEnjoy your autonomyFF&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 & LicenceText us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan MailSupport 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 withinMake the most of what you have already and your assetsRecognise that it’s not all about starting a business and being an entrepreneur, it’s about owning a businessThe visionary side of things can be stimulating and fun - but the operating, the actual doing, can be hardAllow yourself strategic thinking time: assess your thinking and your doingAlways accept you’re learning and never be afraid to ask questionsFF&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 & LicenceText us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan MailSupport 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 businessThe four pillars of Female Founders Rise: community, funding, fundamentals and awarenessKey findings from the RISE Report, including the £310 billion opportunity for the UK economyWhy 80% of young people can't name a female entrepreneur, and what the ecosystem needs to do about itLoneliness as the single biggest challenge for one in seven female foundersWhy peer networks outperform family, friends and even funding as the most valuable founder supportThe case against co-founders, and how to build a support structure without oneWhy "networking" is a dirty word, and what to call it insteadEmmie's advice for first-time female founders: build in public, stay curious, and launch before it's perfectIf 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 MailSupport 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 certificationWe 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 atmosphereOur customers need good value/good quality product/good design; we need a good place to workFrom the outset we intended to make this product in a good way; we need the team to be happyWe consider each other and make allowances for each other’s personal needsWe had great mentors who gave us an education in producing and marketing somethingIt’s important to keep talking to each other - sharing both the good things and the problemsIt’s also useful to network and meet other foundersAlways look around and consider other brands and the competitionTake your time choosing your partners and have a strong partnership agreement in placeStart marketing your product through the right outlets; be selectiveEvery so often take a break with your partners away from the business and discuss long-term plansAlways put the team before the productFF&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 & LicenceText us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan MailSupport 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 consumerAim high and don’t compromiseYou need your consumer to come back a second timeOnce convinced, your customers will spread the word and be your best advertisementTrust is everythingTrade events can be useful if you choose very specific onesA 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 goldAlways put quality before everything elseFF&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 & LicenceText us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan MailSupport the show

March 24, 2026Episode 630 min

How to scale early by saying no: Dan Cray, PHIZZ

In this episode Dan Cray, founder & CEO of PHIZZ, talks about how to scale without losing your North Star, stay focussed and go global.After raising capital, PHIZZ had the opportunity to go broad early. New markets, new use cases and major international interest created momentum - but also complexity. Dan shares how chasing too many opportunities diluted focus, and why returning to a laser focus became the foundation for faster and more sustainable growth.This episode is a lesson in timing, discipline and knowing when to say no.Keep listening to hear how PHIZZ found clarity through focus and what founders can learn about leadership, restraint and long-term growth.Dan's advice:Start with observation, not ambitionBuild credibility early, partnerships with trusted brands created momentum before mass awarenessInvestment creates pressure to scale, but chasing growth too broadly can pull you away from your coreFocus is a growth strategy, cutting revenue generating products and markets can accelerate long term performanceSay no more as you grow, shifting from a yes culture to disciplined decision making is key to scaling wellNail your home market first, global expansion only works if your core business is strong and stableFF&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 & LicenceText us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan MailSupport the show

March 10, 2026Episode 547 min

How to make podcasting work for your business with Samantha Cusick

Samantha Cusick is one of the most recognisable voices in hair & uses podcasting to deepen brand trust, create community, as well as accidentally open doors commercially & position herself as an authority in a crowded market.In this episode, we unpack what podcasting really does for you as an entrepreneur once the mic is live: how it supports the brand, drives opportunity, builds long-term equity & ultimately makes you feel less lonely as a founder. Keep listening to hear how to use podcasting as a growth lever, not a distraction and what founders should think about before they press record.This conversation explores: Why Samantha started a podcast despite running multiple salonsHow long-form podcasting creates deeper connection than short-form social mediaThe realities of podcast growth, sponsorship, and productionHow podcasting has strengthened her broader business ecosystemOvercoming imposter syndrome as a founderThe importance of understanding your numbers and planning properly when starting a businessWhy founders should “just start” - even without certaintyFF&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 & LicenceText us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan MailSupport the show

February 24, 2026Episode 432 min

How to start, scale & stay married Marie du Petit Thouars & Matt Berkson, Maison Louis Marie

In today’s episode of How To Start Up, I’m joined by Marie du Petit Thouars and Matthew Berkson - the founders and partners behind Maison Louis Marie, the clean luxury fragrance house that blends centuries-old botanical heritage with modern consciousness. We discuss how they turned a personal passion into a global brand while learning to start, scale and stay married along the way.Matt & Marie's advice: Divide by strength, not egoRespect work ethic above allAlign on values and definition of successCreate physical and psychological boundariesTrust is the operating systemLet go before you burn outProtect the relationship deliberatelySay no as you growFF&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 & LicenceText us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan MailSupport the show

February 10, 2026Episode 338 min

How to use social media to grow your business, Sophie Paterson Interiors

Today on How To Start Up, I’m joined by Sophie Paterson, founder of the internationally recognised design studio Sophie Paterson Interiors. Since launching her studio in 2008, Sophie has completed over 80 luxury projects worldwide but it’s her strategic use of social media that transformed her business into the global brand it is today.With more than 1,000,000 followers across Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, Sophie has built a loyal international audience, opened doors to collaborations, and attracted clients around the world. Today, she shares how founders can use social platforms not just to showcase their work, but to grow a business, build credibility and reach global customers.In this episode, we cover:When using social media, it’s all about building a communityIt’s a good idea to share the process - whatever you are producingBe consistent about what you share - so your followers know what to expectSharing builds trustBe honest: your personal brand is your brandA social media manager will enable you to produce more content and reach more platformsNo need to be too polished; be genuine and don’t over-curateSometimes reveal the bad as well as the goodDon’t allow negative content from others to touch youIf you’re building a business and questioning how visible you really need to be, this conversation offers reassurance, clarity and practical insight from someone who’s built scale without losing herself in the process.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 & LicenceText us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan MailSupport the show