EP37: Lucy Macnamara, Founder of Aspiga, the award-winning sustainable fashion brand celebrating 20 years in business.

Building Aspiga: Sustainable Fashion, Slow Growth, and ADHD in EntrepreneurshipThis week Jo speaks with Lucy Macnamara, founder of Aspiga, an award-winning sustainable fashion brand built on ethical production and positive impact. Lucy shares how she started with 250 hand-beaded sandals from Kenya sold through friends while working full time, then left her charity role after gaining early wholesale traction. She explains Aspiga’s steady, long-term growth through wholesale, online and pop-ups, later moving operations to London and building teams, and how retail stores began unexpectedly during lockdown through low-risk landlord offers, eventually expanding to around 10 shops. Lucy discusses the realities of managing staff, cashflow, supplier problems, and crises, her ADHD diagnosis in her 50s and how openness helped the team adapt, and her focus now on creating a sustainable business that can rely less on her while maintaining long-standing investments in artisans and community projects in Kenya. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:42 Slow Growth Mindset02:49 First Product and Early Sales03:32 Leaving Charity to Go Full Time05:10 Wholesale Growth and Cash Flow05:56 Early Money Struggles06:46 Midlife Advantage and Self Belief08:53 Hiring and Building a Team11:33 Managing Staff Expectations14:27 Going Above and Beyond15:47 From Pop Ups to Stores18:29 Retail Expansion Challenges20:11 ADHD Energy and Routines21:52 Sleep and Night Worries23:34 Entrepreneurship Ups and Downs24:25 ADHD and Crisis Mode25:18 Late Diagnosis Realizations26:34 School Struggles and Self Doubt28:38 Leading Teams with ADHD32:13 Future Plans and Ownership34:12 Funding and Industry Know How36:40 Three Two One Advice37:01 Sustainability Roots in Kenya41:15 Money Mistakes and AI Checks44:40 Mentors and Asking for Help46:26 Final Thanks and Wrap Up Support the showEdited and produced by Jo Glynn-Smith 2025. Recorded at Eight Works Podcast Studios, 1 Dysart Street, London, EC2A 2BXFor bookings: [email protected] Jo Glynn-Smith is an entrepreneur, professional coach, writer, and speaker from London, she is an expert in career transformation and change. Instagram @jojoglynnsmith and @themidlifeentrepreneurContact: [email protected] CREDIT Easy Money by REX BANNER licensed by Artlist.ioPHOTOGRAPHY by JONATHAN GLYNN-SMITH www.jonathanglynnsmith.com