Up With The Lark And

Today we will be speaking with Sam Paget Steavenson, co-founder of Botivo. This British non-alcoholic botanical aperitivo has joy, playfulness and vivacity in abundance across flavour, brand and approach to doing business. This is accompanied by a determination, an attention to detail and a focus that means the commercial side is thriving, the company is a certified BCorp and they have been in receipt of some serious funding to make expansion possible. This is, simply, a modern day case study of growing a brand and a business in the 2020s.This is a great way to begin our new series on mental health, creativity and entrepreneurship. I have long wanted to explore this topic and am so so pleased that Sam agreed to kick things off. It’s not something routinely discussed and often only in hindsight. Creativity and entrepreneurship are adventures, magnificent ones which bring people alive, show them what they are capable off and offer a real thrill and sense of fulfilment. But there are also real challenges, bumps in the road and tough times.In this series we will look at different aspects of the life of a creative entrepreneur - some light-heartedly and some more challenging. In today’s episode we are going to look at Patience and Persistence. We are going to find out about the trials, tribulations and opportunities of working in the emerging non-alcoholic industry. We are going to dive into Botivo ‘Yellow Hour’ and discover more about the engaging energy of their brand and storytelling. We will hear about the flavour profile and how it takes a year to make a batch of Botivo. And we are going to explore the importance and place of patience alongside the necessity for persistence and determination. And in all of this, how can we keep focused on great mental health as a maker, creator, artisan and founder.

In this episode, we are exploring the alchemy, the mystery and the magic of partnerships. For me it is such an intriguing element of creativity and of entrepreneurship. How do they work? Is it about divide and conquer? is it about contrast, connection and friendship? How are decisions made and conflicts resolved? How can you nurture and enliven them in the long term? How do they impact creativity? Can they be more profitable? Faster moving? More impactful? We are very lucky that in this episode we are joined by Arabella Preston and Charlotte Semler co-founders of two brands - Votary and Verden. Both of these brands are elegant, intelligent, considered and clean. Both have strong identities, stories and frankly cult followings. This is the story of a professional relationship that became a friendship. A chance conversation about skincare became a walk around the Selfridges beauty hall and then that moment of 'shall we?'. Skincare brand Votary was launched in 2015 and thrived. Some years later in 2021, Verden was launched offering fragrance for bath, body and home.We are going to explore these two exemplary brands, their story, their interrelationship and the partnership that binds all of this together. So if you have ever had that moment of wondering about someone that you would like to go into business with or if you are ten years down the line and simply interested to know how others share decisions, celebrate their differences and relate to risk and to failure and chance, then this is for you. Votary: www.votary.co.ukVerden: www.verden.world

In this episode I speak with Pip Durell founder of With Nothing Underneath to explore having singular focus at your business grows, how to lead, the reality of what it takes and how to celebrate the journey .Start ups are exciting and much discussed but there is something particularly intriguing about those companies that make it to adolescence. You realise what really matters, you start to understand yourself better, you analyse what ‘works’ more effectively, your team becomes increasingly essential, your confidence grows, so does the risk. In my experience, something happens at around the five to seven year mark. And that is where we meet today’s guest. Pip Durrell is the founder of With Nothing Underneath.I’m sure that she needs no introduction. Her shirts are renowned. Her Instagram feed documents life as the founder of one of the most successful brands in this generation; we feel that we know her. Her beautiful shirts are worn far and wide by the great and the good, I imagine her enviable press clippings as a teetering mountain and her Elizabeth Street shop is delight. Beauty and brains – the ultimate combination sit at the core of this brand. Perhaps that’s its magic. The style, the glamour, the beautiful women sit confidently alongside BCorp status.Too often, people feel that talent is enough. That creativity is enough. That financial investment is enough. That great connections are enough. None of these are true. Dedication is the name of the game. And Pip demonstrates that dedication consistently. This isn’t luck. This is grit. In this episode, we talk about doing one thing well. Dedicating yourself to one thing and having singular focus. We are going to find out about the With Nothing Underneath Woman. The value of bricks and mortar. Sticking with a singular vision despite all the distractions and temptations. And what’s next for this adolescent brand. With Nothing Underneath: www.withnothingunderneath.com

Gemma Moulton is the founder of East London Cloth. Gemma has crafted a visual narrative, a sensibility, a place and space all of her very own. It is both timeless and of the moment. It draws intelligently and interestingly on the past. The business has evolved quickly from making curtains, to café curtains by post and now as a fabric house of its very own. East London Cloth has made the old, new.Time. The Right Time. Good Timing. The Right Moment. The Passage Of Time. The Right Age. Time is money. Time flies. In the nick of time. Time For A Change. Timing and business. It’s something that I think of often. It is often the olive in the martini. Get the timing right and talent sings, businesses flourish. Gemma Moulton has a great sense of time and of timing.In the spirit of making Up With The Lark And a more interactive experience, I asked you what you’d like to ask Gemma. And without fail, every question related to her sense of style, her confident aesthetic, the space she has created. So in this episode, we are lucky enough to be able to ask Gemma all about her distinct visual narrative, her space in East London, the fabric collection, the photography and how she has made the old new in each and every area of the business.East London Cloth: www.eastlondoncloth.co.uk

We ask Ben Watkinson, Creative Director of GF Smith, about the power of paper, the work of a paper merchant, resilience, innovation, company culture, longevity and what the next one hundred years might bring.When I begin work with a new client, their specific understanding of success is a vital first step. Often I find myself ushering people towards adding ‘longevity’ to the list. In an era where everything seems to happen ever faster, comparison is rife and the state of the world makes it hard to visualise what the future will hold, this is not an easy aspiration to have. But it is a highly valuable one. Today’s guest certainly has achieved it. Let me take you back to 1885. George V was on the throne here, Mark Twain published Huckleberry Finn, the football association recognised professional footballers, the Glasgow Boys first exhibited collectively and George Frederick Smith founded a new paper merchant called GF Smith and S on to supply printers with the finest papers.For over 135 years, GF Smith has been obsessed with the simple beauty and limitless possibilities of paper. Their desire is that, through the hands of the design community, they can bring creativity to life and constantly innovate with one of the world’s oldest materials.Today’s guest is one of the custodians of this great legacy. Ben Watkinson is the Creative Director of GFSmith. ‘Founded in 1885’ isn’t a marketing slogan; it’s an approach to doing business.

If curiosity is your north star, you will enjoy this. How does being self-taught impact the life of a creative entrepreneur?Those who live a life of creativity are often driven by something quite simple - curiosity, wonder and questioning. There is an innate desire to want to understand something, to work something out, to communicate and to explore. For some, this takes them on a path to art school, to foundation degrees, exams, tests, the affirmation of professors and educators. For others, the path is all together quite different. This is the path of the self-taught creative. It is this enticing topic that we are going to explore today. What prompts someone to explore a particular creative path or discipline? What encourages them to make it their livelihood? Where do you begin? How do you put ideas into practice? What part does the recognition of your peers play? When do you feel successful? How do you retain that desire to learn when you are further down the line? Too often we hear about the glory moments, the highlights, the 'ta da' experiences. But in this episode, I am delighted that we are going to hear about the journey, the approach, the grit and the reality. And, of course, some of those fabulous 'ta da' moments too. We are joined by Nicholas Balfe, founder and chef director of Holm in Somerset. He is a self-taught chef and his story is a fantastic one. Holm can be found in a former bank in a quaint Somerset village. It is inspired by nature, its surroundings and is driven by provenance, sustainability and warm hospitality. It is enticing and beautiful. I imagine it to be the physical representation of Nicholas' curiosity. 

How to ignite original thinking to action and how to keep that independence of thought at the heart of all you do as your businees grows. I think that we would all liked to be described as original. I think we also like to think that our designs, branding, website, shop or investment strategy meet that threshold too. But it is a high one. There are certainly those who veer away from the herd, who shake off what is expected and forge their own path, laying brick by brick by brick. These people imagine, test, mess up, question, engage, focus and encourage. So while todays guest might not fit squarely into the ‘creative arts’ sector, I was so intrigued by the concept that I couldn’t resist a chat. Lauren Scott-Harris is the founder of EARNT. To my mind, EARNT is a verb. It is an attitude, a movement, a community of change makers who believe that actions speak louder than money. They help brands unite with causes to get good things done. Those that take part gain access to the best limited editions, the most sought after experiences and widely coveted tickets - creating a new kind of VIP. With some great early adopters, such as the River Café and Desmond and Dempsy, the concept is evolving and growing.This is an idea built on belonging, on using influence to actually do something and of making that set of ideals a practical one. We are going to find out about where the idea came from, what the early years have been like, the contradictions and challenges they face, how we can test original thinking and keep independence of thought alive as the inevitable growing pains kick in.Earnt - www.earnt.co.uk

How do we tune into clients? How can we read them quickly? How can we take feedback well? How can we be collaborative? How can we help them tell their story?I always enjoy the dedications and acknowledgements in books. Such hidden treasures. Recently, I had the pleasure of wolfing down Thomas Heatherwick’s latest book ‘Humanise – a Maker’s Guide To Building Our World’.  It is a point of view. A statement of intent. Perhaps, a manifesto. I have re-read it a few times, it is a spine broken, weighted with post its, lines and scribbles in margins favourite. And as I dove into the acknowledgements, I found a line which prompted today’s conversation:"Thank you to Ben Prescott, the book's designer, [who] was wonderfully collaborative and intuitively understood what I have been trying to express."And I am delighted to say that we have graphic designer and founder of BPD, Ben Prescott joining us today to explore that very point.Ben Prescott is the salt in the recipe when it comes to brand building. Vital. Unassuming. Impactful. His approach is thoughtful, quiet, with a range of references so broad ranging and enticing that his presentations are works of art in and of themselves. He reads people with ease and draws their story onto the page, the website, the packaging, the shop window. He is commercially mindful and excellent at the tangible, the hold it in your hand, the it will last and last. What he does, works.BPD has worked with brands including Marfa Stance, Alex Eagle, Kinjo, the V&A, Broadwick Hotel in Soho, Twig Hutchinson and the Festival of Fashion at the Fife Arms. And in each and every instance, he has shown true expertise in reading the client.We are going to examine that idea, the importance, the relevance, the practical application of reading clients, understanding briefs and taking feedback. Whether you are on the service side of the arts or someone who commissions, collaborates or briefs others, you are going to enjoy this one.

A conversation about how the Swedes do business with textile designer, Cathy Nordstrom. A few years ago, I had a conversation with Taymoor Atigetchi, founder of Papier about the impact of his Iranian roots on the way that he does business. That train of thought stayed with me. And stayed with me. And stayed with me to the point of preoccupation.And so now, a series of interviews with entrepreneurs across a variety of countries and cultures.I want to look beyond the accepted clichés and celebrate the variety of approaches to what makes for ‘good business’. I want to explore customs, political systems, climate, temperament, geography and expectations. What motivates, delights, disappoints. I hope to celebrate the breadth of style and approach, the idiosyncratic, the different.And so we begin our journey in Sweden. Cathy Nordstrom is the founder of her eponymous textile brand based in Stockholm. She has a look and style that says, come and sit down, I’ll pour you a proper drink, put on some Fleetwood Mac and we will have a fantastic chat. Even more wonderful is the fact that her pieces are designed, hand printed and produced in Sweden. Inspired by a sometimes forgotten Swedish heritage of colour, geometric and floral design, her love for pattern and textiles is contagious. After many years in graphic and then pattern design, Cathy opened her own company in 2019 and it has quickly found it’s way onto the design landscape. She says every room gets better with textiles and her aim is always to encourage us to select pieces that make our hearts sing. In Swedish, of course.

Welcome to Up With the Lark And – a podcast for creative entrepreneurs hosted by me, Calandre Orton. It seems to me that there are two key factors in the running of a great business. Consistency and Change. Together. Blended. Balanced. Connected. And as we usher in a New Year, change is on our minds. What goals have you set for yourself this year? Perhaps a change of product or service, perhaps a change of location, of stockists, of supplier, of marketing strategy? Some are tweaks. Some are seismic.One such seismic change, is a entire change of career. As an escaped lawyer myself, I am always interested to hear how and why others made the leap from the corporate world to the creative one. Whenever I spot one, I make sure to find out more about their story. And our guest today is a wonderful example – Eppie Thompson is the founder of The Fabled Thread. Some tell stories in ink but theirs is told in needle and thread. The Fabled Thread is a colourful, storytelling, optimistic and confident brand offering embroidery, needlepoint, sewing supplies, courses and a sense of togetherness. A foray with a sampler as a wedding gift began the journey from corporate City life to creative entrepreneur.In this episode, I ask how do you know you’re ready? How do you know it’s the right thing? And the right time? What does that shift in mindset look like from employee to entrepreneur? What advantages and blights does a corporate past offer? Whether you are changing profession, moving country, launching a new offering, embracing a new style, opening or closing a bricks and mortar shop, my hope is that you will all find uplifting insights in Eppie’s story. The Fabled Thread: www.thefabledthread.comUp With The Lark: www.upwiththelark.com

Welcome to Up With the Lark And – a podcast for creative entrepreneurs hosted by me, Calandre Orton. One of the areas of creative business that intrigues me most is how creatives work together. How do great partnerships, collaborations, commissions, pairs and teams work? How do we know if an endeavour will be challenging, stretching, engaging, enriching, effective, adventurous? How can we all understand ourselves better in order to work well with others? Does there need to be a commonality of outlook, aesthetic, humour, approach? And how about the practicalities and those inevitable moments of difficulty? This topic offers such a rich vein of discussion that I plan to return to it again and again across different industries, personalities and projects. Today we have one such collaboration – Arthur Cole, Head of Programmes, at The Newt in Somerset and children’s author/illustrator Emma Van Zeller. Together they have recently published a book entitled ‘The Spitting Toads’ which is simply charming. The Newt is a working estate in Somerset comprising splendid gardens, farmland, woodland and orchards. An exquisite hotel, restaurant and shop are matched only by the programme of events celebrating seasons, the landscape, creativity and innovation. All of this done with a sense of whimsy and imagination. Their apple display at Chelsea Flower Show will forever have a place in my mental scrapbook! And I think that it is just that sense of childlike whimsy alongside an Allen Alberg sense of detail that is where these two creatives meet. Both encourage us to slow, pause, observe and look look and look again. We are going to find out about Emma’s creative practice and style, why she approached The Newt to work together, the story of The Newt itself and how they worked together to bring this project to fruition. Emma van Zeller: www.emmavanzeller.comThe Newt: www.thenewtinsomerset.comThe Spitting Toads: www.shop.thenewtinsomerset.com/uk/p/2867/the-spitting-toads

It seems to me that the mix of work rest and play has gone awry. Many of us find ourselves far from a good blend, mix or combinations of these three critical factors in any creative business. Work has long been worshipped. Being oh so very busy, burning the candle at both ends and the midnight oil, the 5am club, all nights have all been badges of honour. Slowly, though, rest has found its way like the first crocus, into entrepenurial consideration. Even if just as a means to an end. Mindfulness, going offline, running your inbox rather than it running you, company culture, sleep are now all in the conversation. And yet play feels too often neglected. Relegated to childhood, art school, the start up phase or ‘just when I get some time’. So in this gathering of conversations, we will explore the purpose of play and the practicality of play and how we keep it at the forefront even when the cash flow forecasts, the product plan, social media and your staff are all clamouring for your attention. Looking at different creative disciplines, enterprises and personalities, I hope that you will find yourself encouraged and challenged to remember that play is in fact a very serious business.Being a multi-hyphenate, a polymath, has become more than idea of late, it has become an ideal for many. More and more people want to have a variety of strings to their bow, a variety of mediums in their tool kit, a variety of communities and clients. But very few truly achieve this accolade. Today’s guest is the most wonderful example. She is someone who acts on her ideas. Mel Calver has a creative life that is a delightfully unexpected tapestry. She is the founder and creative director of Melanie Giles hairdressing a collection of three salons across Somerset all fizzing with energy, buzzing with hairdryers and yet which offer a sanctuary of great coffee and conversation. Alongside this she runs ReRooting which is a cutting and kitchen garden where she supplies herbs and flowers to Landrace Bakery, and herbs to Margaux Henderson's Three Horse Shoes. Mel’s drive and ambition is quiet. Perhaps even enigmatic. And yet its outcome is abundantly clear. Every conversation with her is peppered with adventurous ideas and plans. It’s infectious. Her sense of play is independent and built on an intuition I admire immensely. I can assure you that Mel’s story will get you thinking about your own talents, ideas and sense of play and the promise of what might be possible. We are going to talk about plants and hair and baking, the delight in working in contrasting disciplines and how to keep play alive in the midst of it all.Melanie Giles - www.melanie-giles.ukRe-Rooting - www.re-rooting.co.ukLandrace Bakery - www.landrace.co.uk

It seems to me that the mix of work rest and play has gone awry. Many of us find ourselves far from a good blend, mix or combinations of these three critical factors in any creative business. Work has long been worshipped. Being oh so very busy, burning the candle at both ends and the midnight oil, the 5am club, all nights have all been badges of honour. Slowly, though, rest has found its way like the first crocus, into entrepenurial consideration. Even if just as a means to an end. Mindfulness, going offline, running your inbox rather than it running you, company culture, sleep are now all in the conversation. And yet play feels too often neglected. Relegated to childhood, art school, the start up phase or ‘just when I get some time’. So in this gathering of conversations, we will explore the purpose of play and the practicality of play and how we keep it at the forefront even when the cash flow forecasts, the product plan, social media and your staff are all clamouring for your attention. Looking at different creative disciplines, enterprises and personalities, I hope that you will find yourself encouraged and challenged to remember that play is in fact a very serious business.I have never been able to resist a gallery or museum shop, not once. It is that specific moment of wanting to turn an experience, a visual experience, into something more tangible. A single postcard will suffice, a coffee table book delights but trinkets and treasures are a real treat. And there aren’t many places that do this better than the V&A. A place where the very very old and the highly contemporary are plaited together to create a world away from the hustle and bustle attitude. Whether in its architecture, exhibitions or the collections in the shop, you know you are in the hands of an expert, innovative and playful staff.One of them joins us today, Margaux Soland heads the Buying Team of V&A Retail. They look after all the shops across the London sites which includes South Ken, The Young V&A, and V&A East. In this episode, we will find out about how the team works, their relationship with the rest of the museum, Margaux’s role there, and that even an institution as authoritative and historic as the V&A can be playful.The V&A Shop - /www.vam.ac.uk/shop/home

It seems to me that the mix of work rest and play has gone awry. Many of us find ourselves far from a good blend, mix or combinations of these three critical factors in any creative business. Work has long been worshipped. Being oh so very busy, burning the candle at both ends and the midnight oil, the 5am club, all nights have all been badges of honour. Slowly, though, rest has found its way like the first crocus, into entrepenurial consideration. Even if just as a means to an end. Mindfulness, going offline, running your inbox rather than it running you, company culture, sleep are now all in the conversation. And yet play feels too often neglected. Relegated to childhood, art school, the start up phase or ‘just when I get some time’. So in this gathering of conversations, we will explore the purpose of play and the practicality of play and how we keep it at the forefront even when the cash flow forecasts, the product plan, social media and your staff are all clamouring for your attention. Looking at different creative disciplines, enterprises and personalities, I hope that you will find yourself encouraged and challenged to remember that play is in fact a very serious business.Every nation suffers under a cloud of cliches, and Scotland is no different. All tartan tins of shortbread, haggis, deep fried anything kilts and cold dark nights. But that assumption is a mistaken one and our guests today are working to offer an alternative perspective. They are championing Scottish craft at its very finest, offered with celebration and joy. Husbands Hugo Macdonald and James Stevens are the founders of Bard, a gallery and shop celebrating Scottish craft and design.Whether textiles or ceramics, whether from the Borders or the Isle of Skye, whether established or just making a name, all the selections these two made debunk that Scottish cliche, and not just that they're doing so playfully.We're going to talk about the idea for Bard, the ingenuity, resourcefulness, and humour of their makers, why play matters in the realm of physical retail and in the presentation of craft.Bard Scotland - www.bard-scotland.com

It seems to me that the mix of work rest and play has gone awry. Many of us find ourselves far from a good blend, mix or combinations of these three critical factors in any creative business. Work has long been worshipped. Being oh so very busy, burning the candle at both ends and the midnight oil, the 5am club, all nights have all been badges of honour. Slowly, though, rest has found its way like the first crocus, into entrepenurial consideration. Even if just as a means to an end. Mindfulness, going offline, running your inbox rather than it running you, company culture, sleep are now all in the conversation. And yet play feels too often neglected. Relegated to childhood, art school, the start up phase or ‘just when I get some time’. So in this gathering of conversations, we will explore the purpose of play and the practicality of play and how we keep it at the forefront even when the cash flow forecasts, the product plan, social media and your staff are all clamouring for your attention. Looking at different creative disciplines, enterprises and personalities, I hope that you will find yourself encouraged and challenged to remember that play is in fact a very serious business.In this episode we are joined by Ella McKay, Fatso Numero Uno and co-creator of Fatso Chocolate. As a modern day chocolate brand, they have the lives, livelihood and wellbeing of their farmers at heart. Alongside this value driven approach is a playful sense of humour. It finds expression vividly and without apology in the branding, recipes, names, stories and imagery.Whether it’s a King Charles lookalike tucking into ‘The King’s Ransome’ bars or the promise that a biker granny would devour ‘Nan’s Stash’ with teeth or no teeth or the memorable ‘Morning Glory’ bar which celebrates cornflakes, toast and marmalade, wit and confidence rule here. And I can’t wait to find out more about how play, good humour, chocolate, caring and commerce all interrelate.Fatso Chocolate - www.sofatso.com

It seems to me that the mix of work rest and play has gone awry. Many of us find ourselves far from a good blend, mix or combinations of these three critical factors in any creative business. Work has long been worshipped. Being oh so very busy, burning the candle at both ends and the midnight oil, the 5am club, all nights have all been badges of honour. Slowly, though, rest has found its way like the first crocus, into entrepenurial consideration. Even if just as a means to an end. Mindfulness, going offline, running your inbox rather than it running you, company culture, sleep are now all in the conversation. And yet play feels too often neglected. Relegated to childhood, art school, the start up phase or ‘just when I get some time’. So in this gathering of conversations, we will explore the purpose of play and the practicality of play and how we keep it at the forefront even when the cash flow forecasts, the product plan, social media and your staff are all clamouring for your attention. Looking at different creative disciplines, enterprises and personalities, I hope that you will find yourself encouraged and challenged to remember that play is in fact a very serious business. In this episode we are joined by Camilla Wordie. Camilla is an art director and stylist. She works with food to make compositions that defy the ordinary. Balance, colour, story, angles and degrees, the perfect prop all combine to great effect. Anything that makes you pause, look again, draw closer and revist in your mind is a triumph as far as I am concered and that’s what Camilla’s work offers. It is seriously playful and playfully serious. I am looking forward to asking Camilla about her practice, the role of play in her work, how minimalism and play interact and how we can all be just a little more playful.

In this episode we are joined by Jess Wheeler. Jess is a designer and artist based in North Wales. She works across a variety of disciplines from set to homeware design and her cross disciplinary approach has a unified, nostalgic, nature driven narrative. I greatly admire not just the pieces that Jess creates but also her route and methods. In fact a bronze rhubarb from her collection was the first purchase I made for my own studio before I even had a desk. She seems to have an unquenchable thirst for experimentation, for new materials, contexts and stories. One of the aspects I think is most distinct about Jess is that she has begun, developed and expanded her own workshop deep in the wilds of Wales. It is a workshop of ideas. It is a place of trial and error. It is a place of learning. It is filled with people with new skills and those with hard-won expertise. It is noisy production and natural beauty. It is rugged and raw and suspiciously photogenic. We are lucky enough today to hear more of Jess’ adventures in creativity, how she came to the current chapter of lighting across brass, bronze and plaster, life in Wales, the influence of the natural world, the people around her and what the future holds.Jess Wheeler: www.jesswheeler.com

It is too easy to throw up our hands in despair at the state of the world. And yet there are many of you acting to make a change. Not only that, you are doing it ever so stylishly. Each of you should be applauded.For quite some time, I have wanted to adjust the format of the podcast. To mix in with the one to one interviews, some more ‘round the table’ discussions. I want to hear different views and outlooks, about contrasting ideas and a breadth of industries. I am delighted that this is the first of such a discussion and my guests far exceeded my expectations. This is a wonderful conversation with Sophie Platts, founder of Floks, and Ruth Alice Rands, founder of Herd.Each of these fantastic women has has a great story to share, a fantastic attitude to the planet, to change and to running a business. I hope that their company names will give you a clue on the topic. Today, we are going to Reimagine Wool. In this episode, we are going to discuss a the re-imagining of the wool industry. A fascinating topic alone but also one that whatever industry you are in, there are insights to share and lessons to learn. We hear about each of their relationships with wool, the enterprises they have begun, highs and lows and what they hope that the future holds.I am quite certain that you will walk away uplifted, encouraged and, I hope, a little bit challenged to act on the changes that you want to see in your field, industry, arena. We all have the ability to bring about change and you couldn’t ask for two better role models that Sophie and Ruth.www.floks.co.ukwww.herdwear.co

There is an audible sigh of exhaustion, of weariness, of disturbed momentum, of deep uncertainty. So in this collection of conversations, we are going to discuss ideas, approaches and temperaments that could act as an antidote for those of us working in the arts and creative industries. If you have found yourself retreating, becoming overly cautious or risk averse, then this is the episode for you. Francesca Strange, founder of The Proof, is brutally honest about running a business and taking calculated risks, searching for balance, facing failure and the future. There’s no sugar coating here.The Proof are a bakery based in East London who, simply put ‘will bring pudding’. Francesca is a self-taught cook and baker who has blended an Italian background, a sweet tooth and gumption in spades to create a business full of energy and joy. A nod to style but its heart in substance, The Proof delivers the puddings we know and love with a dollop of doings things well on the side. And if you manage to get to the end of this episode without a craving for profiteroles, I will be quite surprised. We are going to hear about the unexpected beginnings in lockdown, opening the bakery in Dalston, building a team, their current kickstarter campaign and their vision and plans for the future. Here’s a clue. It involves candy floss.

It is true that many enterprises begin with someone unable to find what they are looking for, so they make it themselves and Nights By Wilder is a delightful example of this. It was born out of founder Elizabeth’s stylish eye for nightwear for her children. Stylish is quite the word here, Nights By Wilder is highly memorable from its fabrics and silhouettes to its charm and its whimsy. Children’s attire is a crowded & noisy marketplace so it’s no mean feet to find yourself distinctive, celebrated & instantly recognisable.In this episode, we hear about the early days of the business, the development of the aesthetic, the importance of originality, seeking out experts, building a business as well as a brand and keeping curiosity, kindness and confidence alive.Nights By Wilder - www.nightsbywilder.com