The Business of... With Richard Farleigh

Danielle Armstrong opens up about her journey from packing boxes to becoming a reality TV star, fashion entrepreneur, and social media powerhouse. Best known for her time on The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE), Danielle shares the real business lessons behind the fame — from grafting her way up in the fashion industry, navigating public breakups on national TV, and dealing with the pressures of social media, to launching a profitable boutique within six months of joining the show. Whether you’re building a brand, starting a business, or navigating a career pivot, this conversation is packed with honesty, hustle, and hard-earned wisdom. 00:00 – Why success starts with graft, not shortcuts 01:14 – Introduction: The Business of Reality 02:48 – Life before TOWIE: Danielle’s fashion career ambitions 03:47 – How Danielle really got onto TOWIE 05:10 – School, creativity, and finding fashion 07:25 – Blagging a job at Topshop & packing boxes 08:55 – Earning £750 a month and sticking it out 09:41 – Saying yes to opportunities (Italy trip that changed everything) 12:01 – Why starting at the bottom matters 14:39 – Personality vs skills in business success 14:57 – Balancing a serious career with reality TV 16:20 – What filming TOWIE is actually like 17:30 – Is reality TV real or staged? 18:50 – Overnight fame and public opinion 20:37 – The dark side of social media & online comments 22:13 – Leaving security for uncertainty 23:14 – Monetising social media before “influencers” existed 23:35 – Launching Danny Boutique with £30k 26:43 – Spotting fast fashion trends early 28:41 – Making low margins work through volume 32:26 – Using TV exposure to grow a business 34:32 – Becoming profitable in just two months 35:25 – Leaving TOWIE and reassessing priorities 35:42 – Transition into health, fitness & lifestyle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to my Business Of… series, in partnership with @CityamUK In this series, I sit down with some of the most influential figures in business, culture, and creativity to explore the real stories behind how they build and scale success. In this episode, I’m joined by Dame Anya Hindmarch — designer, entrepreneur, and one of the UK’s most successful brand builders. Anya shares how she launched her first handbag at just 18, built a global business without advertising, and created some of the most iconic PR and marketing moments in modern retail — from I’m Not A Plastic Bag to large-scale civic brand activations. We discuss what it really takes to build brand cut-through, why tenacity matters more than capital, how creativity can outperform ad spend, and what founders and marketers can learn from scaling globally while staying true to purpose. This is a masterclass in brand, marketing, and entrepreneurship — from one product to a global name. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 01:30 – Launching a Business at 18 04:40 – Spotting Opportunity Without Inventing 07:30 – Convincing Suppliers & Early Risk 11:20 – “Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable” 14:10 – Building an Original Product & Brand 18:00 – Breaking Into New Markets 21:30 – Relationships Over Cut-Throat Business 24:30 – First Stores & Brand DNA 27:40 – Scaling Globally Without Big Capital 31:00 – Creativity as a Growth Strategy 37:20 – PR, Guerrilla Marketing & Brand Cut-Through 42:30 – I’m Not A Plastic Bag Phenomenon 46:40 – Risk, Purpose & Brand Responsibility 49:30 – Retail, Digital & the Future of Brands 52:30 – Final Reflections & Advice for Entrepreneurs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to my Business Of… series, in partnership with @CityamUK In this series, I sit down with some of the most influential figures in business, culture and creativity to explore the stories behind their success. In this episode, I’m joined by Anthea Turner. She opens up about her extraordinary career, the challenges of dyslexia, the pressure of fame, and how she learned to reinvent herself again and again. From her early days reading traffic reports for the BBC to becoming one of the most recognisable faces on British television through shows like Blue Peter and Top of the Pops, Anthea reflects on the moments that shaped her life. She shares how losing her confidence forced her to rebuild from the ground up, why resilience is a skill you can learn, and how charity work, reinvention, and personal growth helped her rediscover her purpose. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 02:00 – Growing Up with Dyslexia 04:30 – Losing Confidence at School 07:40 – The Moment That Changed Everything 10:00 – Working Harder Than Everyone Else 12:30 – Choosing a Different Path 14:30 – First Job & Early Hustle 17:00 – Discovering Radio 19:00 – Making Opportunities, Not Waiting 21:00 – Getting a Foot in the Media World 24:00 – Top of the Pops and Blue Peter 56:00 – Advice for the Next Generation 58:00 – Final Reflections Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to my Business Of… series, in partnership with  @CityamUK  In this series, I sit down with some of the most influential figures in business, culture and creativity to explore the stories behind their success. In this episode, I’m joined by Levi Roots, entrepreneur, musician and the founder of Reggae Reggae Sauce. Levi and I discuss identity, mentorship, resilience, creativity and the realities of building a business from nothing. From growing up as a Windrush child raised by his grandmother in Jamaica, to prison, to walking into Dragons’ Den with a guitar missing a string, this is the full story behind one of the most iconic pitches in TV history. 00:00 – Introduction 01:05 – Welcoming Levi Roots 02:00 – From Brixton to global success 04:20 – Windrush, family & early life 07:25 – His grandmother’s influence: food & music 10:45 – School, identity & trying to fit in 12:40 – Prison, failure & becoming “Levi” 15:55 – The power of mentorship 18:20 – Music, creativity & self-expression 21:45 – Notting Hill Carnival & early hustle 24:30 – Writing the Reggae Reggae Sauce song 26:50 – Getting invited onto Dragons’ Den 28:45 – Walking in with a five-string guitar 32:40 – Getting the numbers wrong — and why it worked 36:55 – Honesty, trust & striking the deal 39:15 – Why people buy into you, not the product 42:05 – Fame, money & staying grounded 44:30 – Legacy, giving back & inspiring young people 46:45 – Closing reflections Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to my new Business Of... series, in partnership with  @CityamUK  . In this series I chat to some of the most influential people in Comedy, Fashion and Business. In this episode, I am joined by world-renowned comedian Jimmy Carr. We discuss risk, discipline, creativity, business, and the psychology behind being funny. From leaving a corporate job at Shell to becoming one of the most successful comedians on the planet, Jimmy shares the mindset, systems and brutally honest truths that shaped his career. Timecodes 00:00 – Introduction 01:12 – Welcoming Jimmy Carr 02:30 – Leaving Shell & taking risks 06:45 – The wisdom of crowds in comedy 10:05 – Understanding Jimmy’s persona 13:20 – Childhood, humour & psychology 18:40 – Dyslexia, learning & performance 22:55 – What makes a comedian succeed 27:30 – The business of being funny 31:50 – Talent, discipline & joke writing 36:10 – Why audiences matter 40:55 – Failure, luck & opportunity 45:15 – Comedy industry changes 47:00 – Closing thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Introducing my ‘Business of...’ series brought to you by @city_amJoin Richard as he sits down and speaks to some of the most influential people in fashion, comedy, reality tv and entrepreneurship as I delve into what drives them and how they have excelled in their respective fields.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices