How do you inject more personality into your brand, help keep customers engaged and tell a story? One of those ways is by using stop motion in your creative socials, videos and reels. And today I'm chatting with Alice Loveday, founder of Loveday Social and the queen of Stop Motion.    Highlights include    - **Introduction to Stop Motion:   - Definition and magical elements of stop motion.   - Why it’s so engaging and valuable for marketing and sales.   - **Business Applications:   -...

When was the last time you audited your website and looked at it from the point of view of a user? This weeks episode we chat all about increasing your website conversion and enhancing the experience of the user.  Aime Cox from Studio Cotton is an  expert when it comes to crafting and designing websites  and shares their insights and tips on why your conversion may not be where it should be and what you can do about it.  Some of the areas we talk about  E-commerce Conversion Rates:**    -...

Communications expert, journalist and PR guru Priscilla Pollara joins the start scale succeed podcast to chat  Pitching to journalists and how to engage with them and how to find the right ones for your brand & products.  Creating the story the journalist wants to hear and feature Collaborating with aligned brands to boost your visibility and leverage audiences  Engaging customers through compelling stories and what that looks like and how to craft them.  Understanding your unique...

The tables are turned this week where Nicole is chatting with Jacqui Ripley spilling the tea on what retailers want and what to include in your pitch deck and some other nuggets such as  ⭐️ Rookie mistakes brand owners can make including packaging⁠ ⭐️ How to grab a buyer's attention ⁠ ⭐️ The key information to put in a retail deck⁠ ⭐️ How to handle negotiation⁠ ⭐️ The importance of getting your pricing right from the get go⁠   Interviewer  Jacqui Ripley  Host Nicole Higgins  Nicole...

Connecting and engaging with your customer is key and one way to do this is through pop ups. This week’s guest is Matt Hopkins founder of the great brand exchange.   The Great Brand Exchange was founded in 2014 with two goals in mind. The first was to help small businesses grow and scale by giving them a route into retail. And the second was to bring exciting, unique, local products to major retailers enabling them to offer something different alongside their big-name brands.   On the...

You are what you eat, well in this case you are what you put on your skin, inspired by superfoods and plant based ingredients Roshanne transitioned from a legal career into the beauty industry and founded The Glowcery.  Listen to hear how  Before Roshanne  even launched she had been sent a cease and desist from Chanel  How the brand launched and why it was successful from the beginning  How the Glowcery are marketing and growing their brands and standing out in every increasing...

What’s a personal brand and how do you build one when you are also building your product business? This weeks episode Martha Keith founder of Martha Brook Stationery joins the start scale succeed podcast. Highlights include How & why you should show up as the founder to differentiate your brand The power of personal branding and debunking the current trend for faceless accounts The Do’s and Don’ts of personal branding How to create engaging content Developing the story of...

What to do when your product  business just isn’t working for you anymore?, this is where Kayley was a few months ago and she has reassessed and reflected on what she wants her brand and business to be and so she is pivoting and changing her business model.  In this episodes she shares her journey of how she started,  the challenges she has faced and why she is pivoting to move forward with podcast host Nicole Higgins  Some of the topics covered Building a Brand with a Unique Selling...

At some stage in your business journey you may look for  investment to help you  start or grow. This week in  ep 141 Luke Desmond joins the podcast to demystify investment and explain the investment landscape, who you should be approaching depending on what stage your business is at and the funds you are looking for.  Highlights of this episode include: Pitching to Investors: The value of a compelling story, clear data, and a precise ask in your pitch deck. Understand your business...

This weeks episode Nicole chats about how  to build commercial ranges for your product business.  Nicole shares some of the mistakes she made whilst working as a buyer for major high street retailers and how you can create and develop products that are the right fit for your business  Focusing on people, the product and profit  Nicole breaks down actions to take when planning for the seasons ahead.    The Host  Nicole Higgins is a seasoned professional with over 18 years experience in...

Using a distributor for your beauty or wellness  brand can catapult your growth.  In ep 139 of start scale succeed host Nicole Higgins chats with Catherine Collins about the practical tips for identifying and collaborating with the right distributor.  Catherine established a distribution agency in the middle east and now provides expert consultancy for beauty and wellness brands  This week some of the topics covered are  The pivotal role of distributors in a brand's expansion and the...

The retail market in the middle east is worth approx $80 billion dollars, but how do you break into that market as a brand and what do you need to consider  In this episode of Start Scale Succeed Nicole chats with Abbie founder of base brands a brand strategy & consulting company based in Dubai about selling and launching in the Dubai market  Some of the areas discussed are:  Tips and advice for breaking into the market  from customers to logistics  What to consider culturally and...

Recent closures of high street chains further highlights the challenges of bricks and mortar stores, but how are the new kids on the block building their businesses and creating a community.  This episode I chat with Cat Anderson founder of sustainable clothing store Treen a  vegan fashion retailer, offering a selection of style must-haves from a carefully selected group of brands that make a positive difference. Providing a killer wardrobe without Killing the planet.  This episode we chat...

Are you using your stories to their full potential?  Using stories to connect and sell is key to help you business grow. Ep 136 is with creative content consultant May Castillo our key focus today is How to sell in your stories.  Some of the topics we chat about are:  "Fearless Selling" - Overcome the emotional barriers to confidently sell your products or services. "Sales Foundations" - Understand essential sales strategies before utilizing Instagram stories to sell. "Consumer Shifts" -...

On average 35-40% of your turnover in your product business should come from your email marketing. If you're not quite reaching that target then this episode is for you.  This week in the start scale succeed podcast I chat with Hannah Spicer email marketing expert  During the podcast, Hannah shares valuable insights on: - Mistakes businesses make with their emails - Building effective retention and win-back email flows - Optimizing open and click-through rates - Creating engaging and...

In this episode of Start Scale Succeed host Nicole Higgins is joined by guest Katie Tucker, author of "Do penguins eat peaches  and founder of Product Jungle. Together, they delve into the essential topic of understanding customers and how businesses can leverage this understanding to thrive. Katie provides invaluable insights into market research, customer discovery, and the importance of aligning with customer values. Listeners will gain practical tips for conducting effective surveys,...

The UK wedding industry is worth £14 billion and this weeks’ Guest is definitely having their slice of the pie.  Revolutionizing the bridal industry with the “airbnb” of bridal rentals.  I chat with co-founder Ella Gaskell about PS Bridal Rental,  a rental and resale platform.  Celebrity Stylist Ella partnered with Zoe Jervoise Graham  to start the business after establishing during covid that there was a definite gap in the market for the idea  We discuss about how the idea came to life...

Content pillars - a term we often hear talked about in relation to social media and creating content but what are they?  how many should you have? and how do you establish what they are, In this episode Nicole chats with Char Dixon ex head of marketing for Dune and New Look (to name a few ) and founder of loud mouth content.  Chars’ aim is to reduce the overwhelm of content creation for small business owners    The episode guides both new and existing businesses on reassessing scattered...

From running home on her lunch break  to post orders to now owning a bricks and mortar store, a thriving online business and co-founding a ladies fashion brand.  In this weeks episode of Start scale succeed (ep 131) I chat with Sophie Cafolla founder of stock & Co a stunning children’s lifestyle brand on how the brand has evolved over the years and why bricks and mortar is key to their growth.  Sophie shares great insight and tips that will really help and inspire you in you business...

In this episode, we sit down with Nikki Coe, a branding expert and business coach specializing in working with co-founders.  Nikki shares her insights on why 65% of high-potential businesses fail due to co-founder fallout and offers valuable advice on nurturing successful partnerships.  From identifying tensions within the business to the importance of open communication, Nikki provides practical tips and real-life examples to help co-founders navigate the complexities of their...

Goals aren’t just for January.  In this workshop style episode host Nicole Higgins takes listeners through a comprehensive guide on setting strategic business goals for future success. Drawing from her extensive experience in corporate strategy and entrepreneurship, Nicole outlines the importance of setting goals and the actionable steps necessary to achieve them. Split into 3 parts Reflections, Review and Plan  Reflection - Nicole encourages listeners to reflect on their experiences in...

Resilience, Rebrand and Reinvention.  These are some of the topics I chat about with Ness, founder of the find boutique in this weeks podcast episode. The experience of rebranding, handling business setbacks, including a social media hack, which meant she lost all her followers and had to start from scratch.  The strategy behind weekly drops, engaging customers through live sessions, and the shift to smaller, more profitable fashion events. Ness's learning curve in the industry, her focus...

I’m often asked how long it takes to start a product business and the answer is how long is a piece of string as there are so many variables at play.  These variables are something I discuss with TV fashion stylist turned Founder  Judy Gilroy creator of  home organisation brand @clossy who shares her journey of why after thinking about two other business previously she bit the bullet and started her own product business alongside a successful tv and styling career and family life.  Some of...

Hands up if you remember the Barbie Launch extravaganza? I'd never seen anything like it and it made me look more at experiential marketing, what it was and how it works. Connecting with your consumers and creating a memorable experience is key to help building your brand. This week in the Start Scale Succeed podcast I dive more into that with my chat with Katie Peake founder of backlash creative THE agency for experiential marketing specialising in fashion & beauty pop ups and...