EP40: Antonia Philp, Paediatric Nurse & Co-Founder of Nursem, the award-winning skincare brand created on a hospital ward.

This week Jo speaks with Antonia Philips, a pediatric nurse and co-founder of Nursem, an award-winning handcare brand created to solve the cracked, bleeding hands caused by constant handwashing with harsh antiseptics. Antonia shares how she and her husband Jonny spent seven years researching and testing products (including Manuka honey) while raising three children and continuing her nursing career, eventually moving to flexible bank shifts after burnout. They discuss finding support through the Newcastle Science City incubator, standing out in a saturated skincare market, listening to customers via a 2,000-person testing panel requiring 90% approval, and scaling a small team as they aim to enter grocery. Antonia explains the Nursem Promise, donating a month of free handcare per product sold, with 700,000 promises delivered and a million targeted by 2027, and reflects on working with her husband, managing energy, and planning for an investor exit without losing purpose. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:50 Balancing Nursing and Business04:15 Staying Connected to Nursing07:31 Handwashing Damage Explained09:01 Searching for a Real Solution11:46 Building the Formula and Testing14:57 Packaging and Early Feedback16:13 Funding and Incubator Support17:07 Launch and Giving Back18:38 Burnout and Energy Management23:36 Sleep and Support24:13 Running as Therapy24:24 Standing Out in Skincare25:58 Customer Led Product Expansion27:40 Working With Your Spouse31:36 Team Growth and Grocery Plans33:38 Exit Pressure and Purpose39:59 Three Two One Reflections45:45 Final Thanks and Wrap Uphttps://www.nursem.co.uk/ 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