In Real Time with Millie

What if the smartest thing you could do for your business was stop chasing what looks successful and start listening to what genuinely feels right? In this episode of In Real Time with Millie, Millie sits down with actress, entrepreneur and Pass Around the Smile founder Cleo Massey for an honest conversation about building a business through authenticity, intuition and genuine human connection. Cleo shares how she moved beyond the identity and pressures of the acting industry, followed the unexpected pull toward spirituality and transformed a personal blog into the thriving Pass Around the Smile community. Together, Millie and Cleo explore the realities of comparison, people-pleasing, scaling a purpose-led business and learning to prioritise peace without abandoning your financial goals. They also unpack why community cannot be manufactured, how to distinguish intuition from fear and why chasing the wrong audience, partnership or version of success will only take you further away from yourself. In this episode: Why Cleo walked away from the identity she had held since childhood Building a loyal community through consistency and real connection The danger of chasing “cool” customers, brands and opportunities Choosing heart over money without undervaluing your business Setting boundaries when your personal brand relies on access to you Navigating comparison, rejection and self-doubt How to tell the difference between intuition and fear Why loosening your grip can create better opportunities Building and scaling a business without sacrificing its soul If you’ve been second-guessing your next move, forcing a strategy that doesn’t feel right or measuring your progress against somebody else’s business, this conversation is your permission to pause and come back to yourself. ✨ Connect with Cleo ✨ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleomassey Website: https://www.cleomassey.com/ Pass Around the Smile: https://passaroundthesmile.com/ ✨ Connect with Kaarme ✨ Käärme Jewels: https://www.instagram.com/kaarmejewels In Real Time with Millie, the podcast: https://www.instagram.com/inrealtimewithmillie Millie: https://www.instagram.com/millie.kaarmejewels/ ✨ Wanting to scale your brand? ✨ Ecommerce Equation is where its at: https://ecommerceequation.com.au/inrealtimewithmillie 

Alli and Heath didn’t have a website, a business plan or even a separate bank account. What they did have was a leather bag people couldn’t stop buying. In this episode of In Real Time with Millie, I sit down with the founders of Sesa Studios to unpack how an unexpected Christmas sell-out became a fast-growing Australian fashion brand. We get into the realities nobody glamorises: manufacturing delays, cash flow, setting launch dates before the stock exists, reinvesting every dollar, learning Meta ads and building a business while working full-time. Alli and Heath also share what it’s really like building a brand as a couple, with Alli leading the creative direction and Heath bringing the structure, data and strategy. Plus, we talk about why creative founders get bored with their bestselling products far too quickly, what it takes to prepare for genuine growth and the question every founder needs to ask: if Beyoncé posted your product tomorrow, could your business actually handle it? An honest, hilarious and refreshingly real conversation about starting before you feel ready, navigating the inevitable breakdowns and continuing to back the product that’s already working. ✨ Connect with Sesa Studios ✨ Sesa Studios Instagram: @sesa.studios Website: sesastudios.com.au ✨ Connect with Kaarme ✨ Käärme Jewels: https://www.instagram.com/kaarmejewels In Real Time with Millie, the podcast: https://www.instagram.com/inrealtimewithmillie Millie: https://www.instagram.com/millie.kaarmejewels/ ✨ Wanting to scale your brand? ✨ Ecommerce Equation is where its at: https://ecommerceequation.com.au/inrealtimewithmillie 

I’m back with a solo episode, queens, and we have a LOT to catch up on. I’m sharing the honest reality of building Kaarme through a season of huge growth, constant change and a little bit of founder burnout. We’re talking about protecting your creativity, putting the right people and systems in place, learning to delegate, and accepting that a business can be successful and still feel fucking hard. I’m also answering your questions about paid influencers, product launches that flop, comparison, reinvesting in your business, becoming a boss, dating while building a brand, whether I would ever sell Kaarme, and where I see this beautiful beast in five years. This is business in real time. No polished success story. Just the lessons, chaos, big dreams and honest conversations happening while I’m still in the middle of it. If you loved this episode, follow the podcast, leave a review and share it with a queen who needs to hear that she is not the only one finding business hard right now. ✨ Connect with Kaarme ✨ Käärme Jewels: https://www.instagram.com/kaarmejewels In Real Time with Millie, the podcast: https://www.instagram.com/inrealtimewithmillie Millie: https://www.instagram.com/millie.kaarmejewels/ ✨ Wanting to scale your brand? ✨ Ecommerce Equation is where its at: https://ecommerceequation.com.au/inrealtimewithmillie 

What’s the difference between using a trend strategically and simply copying what every other brand is doing? This week, Millie sits down with fashion trend, colour and design strategist Rachel Ussher for a raw, gin-fuelled chat about fashion, creativity and building a brand people can recognise without even seeing the label. With more than 20 years of experience across fashion design, brand ownership, Cotton On Group and trend strategy, Rachel knows how to cut through the noise and turn global trends into products that actually make sense for your brand and your customer. They unpack why blindly following trends is one of the fastest ways to lose your brand identity, how to use data without killing your creativity, and why every decision should be filtered through your brand DNA. Rachel also shares what’s coming next in fashion, from ’80s-inspired silhouettes and unexpected colour combinations to the return of craftsmanship, artistry and intentional design. Plus, Millie gets honest about Kaarme’s wins, flops and the products she knew in her gut weren’t quite right. If you’re a founder, designer or creative trying to build something distinctive in a sea of sameness, this episode will remind you that your greatest advantage is your own creative fingerprint. ✨ Connect with Rachel ✨ Rachel Ussher: @rachel.ussher Website: https://www.rachelussher.com/ ✨ Connect with Kaarme ✨ Käärme Jewels: https://www.instagram.com/kaarmejewels In Real Time with Millie, the podcast: https://www.instagram.com/inrealtimewithmillie Millie: https://www.instagram.com/millie.kaarmejewels/ ✨ Wanting to scale your brand? ✨ Ecommerce Equation is where its at: https://ecommerceequation.com.au/inrealtimewithmillie  Love the episode? Follow In Real Time, share it with a founder who needs to stop chasing every shiny new trend, and leave a review so we can keep bringing you more unfiltered conversations with incredible guests!

Millie finally gets her longtime friend and unofficial marketing oracle, Taren Anderson, behind the mic. With more than a decade of experience marketing some of Australia’s biggest beauty brands, Taren is usually the woman behind the scenes helping brands grow, rebrand and figure out what the fuck they’re actually doing. Over a bottle of chilled red, they unpack what makes great marketing work, from balancing data with gut instinct to setting realistic revenue goals and creating a Black Friday strategy that doesn’t destroy your profit margin. They also get into knowing your numbers, building a team that can operate without everything living inside the founder’s head, why brands need to stop throwing their entire budget at Meta, and the power of strong storytelling, creative differentiation and genuine customer connection. Whether you’re planning your next launch, preparing for Black Friday or wondering why your marketing isn’t hitting like it used to, this episode is packed with honest insights you can actually use. No gatekeeping or polished marketing bull. Just two gals talking business, beauty and what it really takes to build a brand people give a shit about. ✨ Connect with Taren ✨ Tren Anderson: @tarenanderson ✨ Connect with Kaarme ✨ Käärme Jewels: https://www.instagram.com/kaarmejewels In Real Time with Millie, the podcast: https://www.instagram.com/inrealtimewithmillie Millie: https://www.instagram.com/millie.kaarmejewels/ ✨ Wanting to scale your brand? ✨ Ecommerce Equation is where its at: https://ecommerceequation.com.au/inrealtimewithmillie