UNBOXED

May 14 2024

UNBOXED Podcast artwork

Connie Nam, founder of Astrid & Miyu, explores what it takes for an aspiring entrepreneur to build an empire.
In every episode, you’ll hear our guest's stories of their biggest mistakes and greatest lessons while building their business. You’ll get valuable insights into what their company's early years looked like, the defining moments that shaped their future and their critical advice for early-stage founders.
Get inspired and listen now.
Follow @unboxed_founderconfidential @connienam @astridandmiyu
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The Most Common Mistake Managers Make

May 14 2024 50 mins

Heather Elkington is a leadership and management expert and joins Connie Nam to share her invaluable expertise. Heather explains how in her mid-twenties, she helped grow and sell a business for millions of pounds, the most common mistakes first-time managers make and why you should aim to grow your business slowly. Plus, she shares her number one piece of advice for start

Why You Need To Own Your Competitiveness

May 07 2024 26 mins

Connie Nam is once again joined by her CMO and first hire, Sarah Hrywnak to discuss the next step in her founding story – the scale up period. Connie and Sarah discuss the difference between a start up and a scale up, learning how to hire the right people and the 2 incremental things you need to do as a manager. Plus, Connie explains the strength culture she introduced

The Pros and Cons of Being the Face of the Brand with Never Fully Dressed

Apr 30 2024 47 mins

Founder and CEO of Never Fully Dressed, Lucy Aylen joins Connie Nam to unbox her founding story this week. Lucy describes the intricacies of building a fashion brand before social media in the markets of London, why she was resistant to being the face of the brand and the struggles of being a boss.Plus, she explains why physical stores are a great marketing piece, breaking int

8 Secrets to Build a Billion-Pound Business

Apr 24 2024 37 mins

Richard Harpin sold his business, Home Serve, for 4 billion pounds. Yet he believes if he’d just done 8 things differently he could have grown better and quicker. In this episode, he joins Connie Nam to share his 8 secrets he wishes he knew before building his business. He explains how to lock down your dream mentor, how to accept losing control when you’re hiring you

How To Let Go of Perfection with Frankie Gaff

Apr 16 2024 31 mins

You may recognise Frankie Gaff from her time on Made in Chelsea, but since leaving she’s built a huge following online. But how did she break free from reality TV to be known as her authentic self?In this episode, Frankie shares with Connie Nam the strategic decisions she made to distance herself from the Made in Chelsea persona, what content works best when collaborating with br

‘Don’t try to do everything, do one thing well’ Blink Brow Bar, Vanita Parti

Apr 09 2024 42 mins

Before Vanita Parti, no one in London threaded their eyebrows. After she founded Blink Brow Bar, it became a staple in thousands of women’s routines. Vanita joins Connie Nam to share how she went from one cramped chair in a department store to 15 stores internationally, how she built a client base before social media and why micro-influencers are crucial for their brand.&nbs

“We have invested £420 million in female-led businesses” Investor, Daina Spedding

Mar 05 2024 29 mins

Investor Daina Spedding is passionate about putting more money behind female-led businesses and in this conversation, she explains how she’s trying to close the gap. Daina shares with Connie Nam the shockingly low percentage of funding that goes to female founders, what being on a board is actually like and how you should approach valuation and your company. The pair al

‘I dropped out of university twice’ Desmond & Dempsey, Molly Goddard

Feb 28 2024 40 mins

Co-founder and Creative Director of Desmond & Dempsey, Molly Goddard, joins Connie Nam on this week's episode. Molly reveals how she dropped out of university twice, the challenges of growing a business and a family, and how she navigated the complexity of the fashion industry with no experience. Plus, she explains why she’s always loved customer service and how she

"Most people in my life I've met through networking, even my husband” amie wine, Abbie Roden Sandbach

Feb 20 2024 40 mins

Co-founder of amie wine and marketing guru Abbie Roden Sandbach joins Connie Nam to share how far perseverance can take you.Abbie explains how she made her own opportunities in social media, why networking was the key to her success and why she doesn’t care about university when it comes to hiring. Plus, she shares small steps to elevate your brand, how she manages running m

‘Patience is the most underrated skill for a founder’ Nails.INC, Thea Green

Feb 13 2024 47 mins

Founder and CEO of Nails.INC, Thea Green, joins Connie Nam to reveal how she transformed the culture of nail treatments in the UK over 20 years ago. Thea explains what nail salons were like in the late 90s, how she pitched to investors and why she thought about quitting by the hour.Plus, she shares how collaborations with Percy Pig came to be, how she overcame her ‘mum guilt