Build Community, Not Just Hype: Astrid & Miyu

In this live episode of Virgin StartUp Changemakers, Natalie Pearce sits down with Astrid & Miyu founder and CEO Connie Nam to explore how putting experience and community at the heart of a brand can create growth that lasts beyond the initial hype. From hand-delivering early orders and running pop-ups around Notting Hill to challenging conventional jewellery retail and building an international brand, Connie shares why she trusted her instinct when others told her to focus on ecommerce. She also explores raising investment, creating memorable customer experiences, building company culture and making the difficult transition from hands-on founder to empowering CEO. Whether you're building a consumer brand, creating a community around your business or learning how to lead as your startup scales, this episode offers practical founder lessons on customer experience, culture, leadership and building a brand for the long term. In this episode: Turning childhood experiences into a distinctive jewellery brand Why Astrid & Miyu prioritised physical retail when others were focused on ecommerce Starting with five customers rather than obsessing over the first hundred Doing unscalable things to create memorable early customer experiences Building a genuine community without treating community as a marketing tactic Knowing when to trust your instinct over external advice Defining company values and using them to hire the right people Moving from hands-on founder to an empowering leader Why founders sometimes need to stay quiet to let their teams develop ideas Asking for help when the transition to CEO becomes difficult Turning moments of brand hype into sustainable long-term growth Changemakers is brought to you by Virgin StartUp, the not-for-profit organisation helping founders start and scale the businesses they're passionate about. Recorded live at Virgin StartUp's Changemakers events, every episode features honest conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders sharing the lessons, challenges and ideas shaping the future of business. Looking to start or grow your own business? Find out more at virginstartup.org Brought to you in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.