Real Talk Real Hustle

Marketing & Branding | What We Wish We Knew From Day One | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 7What does it actually take to build a brand that people trust and how do you get it right from the very beginning?In episode 7, we're joined by Jagz, founder of The Branding Distillery and a branding expert with 24 years of experience. We met Jagz through the Newham Chamber of Commerce networking events, and in a twist none of us planned, she ended up being the judge who interviewed us for the Barking and Dagenham Awards. We won two that night.Now she's back, and this time she's giving us everything. From why your logo is just the beginning, to how to find your audience, use social media with intention, pitch yourself with confidence, and build the kind of trust that turns customers into community.This one is for any business owner who's ever put money in the wrong place, avoided marketing out of fear, or wondered why their branding just isn't landing.Timestamps00:02:00 - How we met Jagz00:03:00 - Meet Jagz00:06:30 - The importance of logos00:08:30 - What does your audience want?00:17:00 - Social media00:25:00 - Storytelling and being real00:32:00 - How to use different marketing tools00:40:00 - How to pitch yourself and do market research00:50:00 - TrustKey Takeaways- Invest in your branding early and put it in the right places. - Know your audience before you spend a penny on marketing. - Your staff are your brand in action, so love them, nurture them, and bring them on the journey. - And don't sit in fear for too long, opportunities don't wait.Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle.Follow the PodPodcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustleFor collaborations & enquiries: [email protected]

HR: What Every Business Owner Needs to Know | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 6Nobody tells you about HR when you're starting a business, until you're sitting in front of a tribunal judge with no legal support, no HR structure, and no idea how serious it could get.In this episode, we're joined by Reyhana, an outsourced HR specialist for micro and scaling businesses. We met Reyhana through networking four years ago, and she immediately made HR feel less terrifying, and that's exactly what she does in this episode.We share the story of how a staff tribunal early in our journey woke us up to the importance of getting HR right. We walk through TUPE and what it really means to take over a business with an existing team. We talk about furlough, hybrid working, and why onboarding is one of the most underestimated tools any business owner has. And Reyhana breaks it all down in a way that makes it actually make sense.This episode is for any business owner who has ever thought HR is too complicated, too expensive, or something to worry about later. It isn't. And this episode will show you why.Timestamps00:02:00 - How we met00:03:30 - Guest introduction00:04:30 - How a tribunal got us thinking about HR00:08:10 - Why is HR important?00:25:00 - Navigating TUPE00:35:00 - The challenges of furlough and WFH00:40:10 - What first steps to take with a new employer?Key Takeaways- You don't need corporate HR structures from day one, but you do need the basics. - Document everything, even a simple follow-up email. - Do your people due diligence as thoroughly as your financial due diligence.- Your staff are your greatest asset, so invest in onboarding, communicate your expectations clearly, and lead with empathy.Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle.Follow the PodPodcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustleFor collaborations & enquiries: [email protected]

Eat. Sleep. Repeat. | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 5What does it really look like to go all in on a business when you're in your early 20s, in debt, on a survival budget, and the only thing keeping you going is a dream you refuse to let go of?In this episode, we get into the reality of what it took to build our nursery from the ground up. The sleepless nights, the seven-day weeks, the missed holidays, the friends' weddings, the delayed families. The moments we had to ask ourselves: "Do we still want to do this for another six months?"We talk about the sacrifices that come with building something real, the survival budget that kept us afloat, and why choosing your career over everything else at 23 is a conversation women rarely get to have honestly. We also talk about where we are now and how none of it would be possible without the team standing behind us.This one is for anyone who's ever wondered whether the grind is worth it. Spoiler: it is. But nobody tells you how long the road really is.Timestamps00:02:00 - Debt00:04:30 - Do you still want to do it after 6 months?00:06:00 - Life paths and trade-offs00:10:00 - Having a team and support00:15:00 - ConfidenceKey Takeaways- Know your survival budget and protect it. - Give your business time to develop before you decide it isn't working. - Never quit on a bad day. - And if you wake up every morning dreading what the day looks like, listen to that.Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle.Follow the PodPodcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustleFor collaborations & enquiries: [email protected]

The Importance of Prestart Finance | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 4Message from us: If you're a superfan and have been listening very closely to our story, you might have noticed we had to slightly change the release dates of a couple of our episodes. You haven’t missed an episode, and well done for catching that! The good news is that you get to listen to our conversation with Romesh about the wonders of finance ahead of schedule! Enjoy listening!______________What does it actually take to get a bank to believe in you when you're young, you have no money, and you're sitting across the table from a room full of male bankers with nothing but a handwritten business plan and a belief that won't quit?In episode 4, we're joined by Romesh, qualified accountant, finance director, founder of The FD Consultant, and co-host of the Strive and Thrive podcast. He has spent over 15 years working with startups and SMEs, and he breaks down the finance fundamentals every business owner needs to know: from how to approach a bank without fear, to why your value as a leader is the most important asset your business has.We also share some of our own stories from the early days: the knockbacks from the banks, borrowing from family, the boardroom full of strangers we had to sell our dream to, and the one man, Peter Bravery, whose belief in us made it all possible.This episode is for anyone who's ever been scared of finance, avoided looking at the numbers, or wondered whether their business idea is actually viable. Spoiler: the numbers are not the enemy. They're the goldmine.Timestamps 00:02:10 - Romesh's introduction 00:07:30 - How to overcome the fear of going to a bank for funding 00:10:30 - Small businesses: the backbone of the British economy 00:16:00 - Do all businesses go through the same knockbacks? 00:23:00 - Showing other people your vision 00:30:00 - Make good choices at the start 00:40:00 - Your value as a leader is the most important thing 00:42:00 - Trust your team 00:50:00 - Key takeawaysKey Takeaways Going to the bank shouldn't be scary, it's just homework you'd do for yourself anyway. Know your industry, know your numbers, and pair your passion with structured thinking. Your value as a leader is incalculable, so trust your team with the day to day and focus on growing the business. And don't shy away from your bank manager. They want to help you succeed.Subscribe and follow along! This is Real Talk, Real Hustle.Follow the Pod Podcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustleFor collaborations & enquiries: [email protected] Romesh Strive and Thrive Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@StriveAndThriveSeries Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romesh-jeyaseelanayagam/

The Pressure Is On | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 4We've got the keys. We've got the building. Now we've got 12 weeks to turn a derelict Victorian doctor's surgery into a fully operational nursery, with £25,000, no salaries, and two families who gave up their lives to help us make it happen.In episode 3, we get into the reality of the build-up to opening day. The survival budgets. The waiting list we built while the walls were still being replastered.We talk about the power of community, the courage it takes to collaborate with your competition, and what it really means to back yourself so hard you never even write a Plan B.This is the episode where it all gets very real.Timestamps00:01:30 - The pressure is on!00:03:30 - Community and support00:09:00 - Budgeting00:13:00 - Optimism00:15:00 - Collaborating with the competition00:18:00 - Key takeawaysKey TakeawaysSet a start date, an end date, and track your cash flow obsessively. Ask for help — your network has more expertise than you think. And back yourself so completely that a Plan B never even crosses your mind.Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle.Follow the PodPodcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustleFor collaborations & enquiries: [email protected]: real talk real hustle, how to open a nursery UK, female founders, women in business, startup on a budget, small business UK, entrepreneur podcast, community over competition, collaboration in business, childcare business UK, business optimism, asking for help in business, plan B mindset, early years business.

The Hustle Begins | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 2What does it actually look like to build a business from scratch? Before you have an office, a budget, or anyone telling you what to do?In episode 2, we take you back to November 2003. We'd handed in our notice, stopped agency work, and set up our makeshift headquarters on Sarah’s bedroom floor in Barking. Armed with library books, a floppy disk, a fax machine, and a Nokia, we got to work.We talk about how we structured our days before we even knew what structure meant, how we hit the streets doing market research by cold-calling nurseries pretending to be parents, and how a chance connection at the job centre led us to the business advisor who changed everything.This episode is for anyone who's ever wondered what the early days of building something really look like. Spoiler: it's less glamorous than you think, and more powerful than you'd expect.Timestamps 00:02:00 - The hustle begins 00:03:40 - The importance of discipline 00:05:30 - The desk 00:06:00 - Market research 00:10:00 - Networking 00:14:00 - Be shamelessKey Takeaways Discipline gets you further than motivation. Structure your days even when nobody's watching. Ask for help with no shame — the job centre, the business adviser, the person who knows more than you. And always, always write it down.Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle.Follow the Pod Podcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustleFor collaborations & enquiries: ⁠[email protected]⁠Keywords: real talk real hustle, how to start a business UK, business planning for beginners, female founders, market research small business, East London entrepreneurs, women in business, startup story, business without qualifications, entrepreneur podcast, small business UK, childcare business, discipline and entrepreneurship.

Who Are We? | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 1Who are we? How do two best friends of 30 years build a business together, and what does it really take to go from zero to 23 years of entrepreneurship?In this first episode of Real Talk Real Hustle, we introduce ourselves, our story, and the business we've built together: Barney Bears Nursery, a Children's Day Nurseries group with two locations in East London.We take you back to the very beginning: two young women straight out of college, working agency shifts across London, finding our inspiration, navigating neurodivergency, imposter syndrome, feelings of inferiority, and making the bold decision at just 23, with no savings, no business qualifications, and nothing but hunger and drive, to open our own nursery.23 years later, we're here to share it all. The wins, the pivots, the lows, and the lessons. Whether you're an entrepreneur or just someone who loves a real story told honestly, this podcast is for you.Timestamps 00:01:30 - Who's Sarah? 00:02:30 - Who's Leah? 00:03:30 - What's the business? 00:05:15 - How did we meet? 00:13:00 - First steps into the industry 00:21:00 - Opening a business and taking the leapConnect with the Pod Podcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustleKeywords: real talk real hustle, female entrepreneur podcast, business podcast, children's nursery business, how to start a business, female founders, entrepreneurship journey, friendship and business, startup story, business without qualifications, women in business, small business UK.