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. 

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.

In the latest episode of How To Start Up, Juliet is joined by Emmie Faust, serial entrepreneur, investor in over 30 women-founded businesses and the founder of Female Founders Rise, the 11,000-strong UK community supporting female entrepreneurs.

Emmie built Female Founders Rise not from a place of ambition, but necessity. After a post-COVID breakdown, she created the peer network she wished had existed for her. Now, on her 11th business as a deliberate solo founder, she believes peer networks can matter more than funding.

This episode also marks the first time Emmie has shared the findings of her newly published RISE Report, the largest independent study of female entrepreneurship in the UK, on a podcast.

In the latest episode of How To Start Up, Juliet is joined by Charles Brun, Co-Founder of IZIPIZI, to talk 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.

Charles launched IZIPIZI in his early twenties alongside two longtime friends, after noticing their mothers struggled to find reading glasses that were stylish, comfortable and affordable. At the time, the market was split between cheap pharmacy products and expensive optical frames - leaving a clear gap for something well designed but accessible.

What began as a simple solution quickly evolved into a design-led eyewear brand, stocked in thousands of retailers and worn in millions of homes worldwide.

This episode is about spotting overlooked opportunities, building a brand around design and accessibility and scaling internationally while staying true to the original idea.

In the latest episode of How To Start Up, Juliet is joined by Nick Croft-Simon, Co-Founder and CEO of White Rabbit, to talk about how to build a truly consumer-led business.

What started in a pub in Oxford, where Nick and Italian chef Matteo Ferrari were serving sourdough pizzas that became the city’s top-rated on TripAdvisor, has grown into a nationally listed brand stocked in retailers including Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Ocado.

But this is a conversation about more than pizza.

It’s about how to build a truly consumer-led business - when to invest heavily in infrastructure, how to test and learn in real time, how to respond when data contradicts instinct, and what it takes to disrupt a category while staying accountable to your community.

In the latest episode of How To Start Up, Juliet is joined by Daniel Cray, Co-Founder and CEO of PHIZZ, to talk about how to scale without losing your North Star. 

After raising capital, PHIZZ had the opportunity to expand early. New markets, new use cases and major international interest created momentum - but also complexity. Daniel 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.

In the latest episode of How To Start Up, Juliet is joined by Samantha Cusick is one of the most recognisable voices in hair, who uses podcasting to deepen brand trust, create community, as well as accidentally open doors commercially and 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.  

Listen to hear how to use podcasting as a growth lever, not a distraction and what founders should think about before they press record.

In the latest episode of How To Start Up, Juliet is joined by Marie du Petit Thouars and Matt Berkson, the founders, partners in life and creative minds behind Maison Louis Marie, the clean luxury fragrance house known for its botanical heritage and timeless scents. Rooted in Marie’s multigenerational family history, one that stretches back the French botanist Louis Marie Aubert de Petit Thouars, Maison Louis Marie blends centuries-old craftsmanship with modern consciousness. 

What began as a deeply personal passion project has grown into a globally recognized brand, now stocked by retailers including Sephora, goop, and Bergdorf Goodman.

In this conversation, we explore how they started, scaled, and stayed married in the process: from defining their individual roles, to navigating the clean beauty industry, to protecting the integrity of their brand and each other. Their story is one of heritage meeting modern entrepreneurship — and of how to build a business and a life together with intention.

In the latest episode of How To Start Up, Juliet is 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. Sophie 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 the latest episode of How To Start Up, Juliet is joined by Rhian Stephenson, nutritionist, naturopath and founder of ARTAH, the practitioner-led supplement brand built around a core belief: performance starts with your health.

Rhian has seen first-hand, both in clinical practice and as a founder herself, how many people push themselves to the point of burnout while building businesses. Her mission with ARTAH is not only to create targeted, science-backed supplements but also to empower people, especially entrepreneurs, to protect their minds and bodies as they grow their careers.

In this episode, Rhian shares the realities of building a company in the wellness space, how to stay healthy while navigating the pressures of entrepreneurship and why understanding your physiology is one of the most powerful business tools you have.

Andy Varley started Insanity at just 17 years old & has since grown it into a multifaceted business spanning artist management, brand partnerships, music publishing & content production.

Tune in to hear Andy’s journey from teenage entrepreneur, to leading one of the UK’s most respected entertainment companies. Juliet & Andy talk about how to find support when you’re starting out & the lessons he’s learned about staying relevant in an ever-changing media & cultural landscape.

Today’s episode of How To Start Up dives into the reality of building a business from the ground up - without investors, without a big marketing budget and without a safety net. Joining us is Aimee Connolly, Founder and CEO of Sculpted by Aimee and Sculpted: The Academy, the global beauty brand she launched at just 23 in 2016 using the €10,000 she saved from her part-time job.

Less than a decade later, Sculpted by Aimee is a multi-award-winning brand with over 140 products, stocked in nine countries and shipped to 68 markets worldwide - all built from a bootstrapped beginning.

In this episode, Aimee shares what it really takes to fund your own idea, stay lean while scaling and build a global brand by relying on resourcefulness, grit and an unshakeable belief in your vision.

In today’s episode we’re joined by the brilliant Michelle Pughe-Parry de Klerk, Founder of The Women’s Chapter, the UK’s first network for women in business to achieve B Corp certification.

Michelle’s journey is an extraordinary example of how a passion project, started on a shoestring as a side hustle, can evolve into a thriving, impact-led portfolio career. After years working across journalism, financial services, commodities, marketing and luxury brand consultancy, and after attending countless uninspiring networking events, she set out to build something different: a curated, inclusive, cross-sector community where women can connect meaningfully, collaborate and genuinely support one another.

Since launching in 2014, The Women’s Chapter has reached more than 30,000 women through events, thought leadership, membership and pro bono initiatives. Michelle also champions women and girls beyond the community through her work as an ambassador for The King’s Trust Women Supporting Women, a UN Women UK delegate and a council member for Founders4Schools and Maths4Girls.

In today’s episode we’re joined by Siff Haider, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Arrae, the wellness brand that’s redefining the supplement space with effective and natural solutions for issues like bloating, anxiety and sleep.

Since launching in 2020, Arrae has gained a cult following thanks to its minimalist aesthetic, loyal community and commitment to solving real, everyday problems - all while standing out in a saturated and often skeptical market.

Stay tuned to hear how Siff approached brand-building with intention from day one, why storytelling and science go hand-in-hand, and what it takes to grow in a crowded category.

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Ella Mackay, founder of FATSO, the unapologetically bold, brilliant and beautiful chocolate brand shaking up the confectionery world.

Launched in 2022 after being dreamt up in lockdown, FATSO is on a mission to make chocolate fun again - big, chunky and full of life, while doing things ethically and with integrity. Behind the humour and bold branding is a founder navigating motherhood, lean budgets and the ever-shifting culture of work.

Stay tuned to hear how Ella has managed imposter thoughts, turned limited resources into major visibility and learned to prioritise both sales and operations without burning out in the process.

In today’s episode of How To Start Up, we’re joined by Candace Bertram, founder of Studio88, a fast-growing Pilates community in Birmingham. After opening her first Reformer Pilates studio in November 2024, she expanded just six months later with a second location in Hall Green.

What started as one small space has quickly become more than just a Pilates studio, it’s a welcoming community where inclusivity sits at the heart. 

As a young, Black female founder and single mum, she has faced pushback along the way, yet her resilience and determination have carved out a space that is both empowering and trailblazing. Stay tuned to hear her insights on taking the leap from job security into entrepreneurship, navigating the realities of financial pressures, and how she’s embedding diversity, inclusion, and true community into the very foundations of her business.

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Jianne Jamil, founder of Diome, a premium supplement brand developing science-backed formulas to support the demands of modern life.

Inspired by her mother’s decades-long struggle with prescription sleep medication, she set out to create effective, natural alternatives without the negative side effects. Before founding DIOME, Jianne built her career in the luxury beauty industry across New York, Paris, and London with La Mer, Tom Ford and Bobbi Brown.

DIOME launched with Rested, an award-winning doctor-formulated, sleep supplement developed with her expert scientific team, including naturopath Emilie Delanoue and medical doctor Dr. Jencikova.

Stay tuned to hear Jianne’s insights on where to start with your NPD, building a science-led wellness brand, and how to market those premium products.

In the latest episode of How To Start Up, we’re joined by Neada Deters, founder of LESSE, a skin care brand redefining beauty through simplicity, efficacy and sustainability.

Born in Sydney and now based in New York, Neada began her career as a beauty editor, interviewing leading experts and testing countless products. Yet her own struggles with cystic acne and reactive skin revealed a gap in the market for effective and natural skin care that worked for sensitive skin. In 2018 she launched LESSE, a self-funded business pioneering high-performance formulas that merge active botanicals with brilliant results.

Stay tuned to hear Neada’s insights on building a self-funded beauty business in a VC-driven industry, the lessons she’s learnt in balancing simplicity with efficacy and how she’s working to raise standards in the natural skin care space.

In the latest episode of How To Start Up, we’re joined by Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures, the world’s largest small group adventure travel company and a pioneer in community tourism. Bruce started the business 35 years ago with two maxed-out credit cards from his garage in Toronto and has since built a global movement rooted in purpose and impact.

Recently awarded The Officer of The Order of Canada, Bruce returned to the Ecuadorian Amazon, the site of G’s very first trip, to reflect on the company’s legacy and plan for the next 100 years.

In this episode, we discuss Bruce’s approach to leadership, how he built a values-led culture and what it really takes to create a business that changes lives, within his business as well as so many others.

In the latest episode of How To Start Up, we’re joined by Richard White, founder of Fathom, the AI-powered meeting assistant that records, transcribes and summarises your video calls so you can focus on the conversation. Previously the founder of UserVoice, Richard brings deep experience in user-centric product design and has built Fathom into one of the fastest-growing tools in the productivity space.

Listen to hear Richard’s insights on the early product decisions that drove Fathom’s breakout growth, why their freemium model worked from day one, and how they engineered virality into the onboarding experience. We also dig into how to build AI products that people actually want to use, why storytelling matters even in a product-led company and how to stay focused on solving real problems in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.