She left BlackRock to build an AI startup in London | Sofia Hamilton | Souk

You Don't Need to Go Viral to Make Six Figures | Jess Bruno | Content, AI & Chronic Illness

How do you build a six-figure business with under 5K Instagram followers? How do you grow a personal brand when you’re the face of your business? And how do you run it all sustainably while living with a chronic illness? London content strategist Jess Bruno [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thatjessbruno/], the woman behind Ne’Twerking and some of your favourite personal brands joins Coffee & Oysters with business tips on building a small but loyal community, turning followers into paying clients, and why you don’t need to go viral to grow. Jess breaks down how she went from leaving her corporate marketing job at 27 with 30p to her name to hitting six figures in 2024 on a three-posts-a-week content strategy she’s barely changed since. She shares her “Instagram is a CRM” mindset, why women in business with chronic illness should charge more, and her honest, slightly spicy take on AI in content (including the client who ran her work through Claude and asked for a refund). Plus hear more about her low/high-touch beauty routines, her trusty solo-founder tech stack (Dubsado, Kartra, Slack, Canva, Tide) and her favourite North London coworking spaces. --- 00:00 Intro 02:03 The Membership & Why Personal Branding Beats Niching 06:48 From Singing Degree to Accidental Marketer 10:20 The £25 Session That Started a Business 15:39 Building a Business Around Chronic Illness 19:02 Six Figures With Under 5K Followers 27:49 The Honest Truth About AI & Content 39:26 Hype Songs, Tools, Style & London Spots--- Steal Jess’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide. [https://rebrand.ly/coguide] Jess on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatjessbruno/ [https://www.instagram.com/thatjessbruno/] Ne’Twerking on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/netwerking_/ [https://www.instagram.com/netwerking_/] Jess on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thatjessbruno/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thatjessbruno/] Jess’s website: https://www.jessicabruno.co.uk [https://www.jessicabruno.co.uk] --- 💬 Become a guest [https://www.notion.so/12d1c0d4dc928089ac26f9161f3ba87e?pvs=21] 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com [https://rebrand.ly/coguide] 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack [https://coffeeandoysters.substack.com/] 📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CoffeeandOysters [https://rebrand.ly/coguide] 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandoysterspod [https://www.instagram.com/coffeeandoysterspod/] 📱TikTok: @coffeeandoysterspod [https://www.tiktok.com/@coffeeandoysterspod] Get full access to Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast at coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe [https://coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

How to Grow a Sea Moss Brand With No Paid Ads | Moss & Glow | Oyinka Yusuff & Jessica Richards

Can sea moss really clear your skin? How do you turn a home remedy into a real wellness brand? London founders Oyinka Yusuff and Jessica Richards, the duo behind Moss & Glow sea moss gel, join Coffee & Oysters with business tips on building a health and wellness brand from scratch, growing through word of mouth, and scaling a side hustle as a two-woman team. Oyinka and Jessica break down how a casual sea moss recommendation at a hair show became a business, after it cleared the scalp psoriasis Oyinka had battled since she was 18. They get honest about scaling from Jessica's kitchen to Etsy to their own website, splitting roles between the visible founder and the behind-the-scenes one, filtering out unsolicited advice, and why giving yourself grace (and actual rest) is a genuine business strategy. Plus they share their founder survival guide including go-to hype songs, aloe vera and sea moss face masks, tech stack essentials and their favourite place to get dumplings and cowork in London. --- Steal Oyinka & Jessica’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide. [https://rebrand.ly/coguide] Moss & Glow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/mossandglow [https://instagram.com/mossandglow] --- 00:00 Intro 04:06 The Sea Moss Recommendation That Started It All 12:40 From Kitchen to Etsy to Their Own Website 16:30 Giving Yourself Grace, Rest & Splitting Co-founder Roles 21:48 Why Word of Mouth Beats Paid Ads (& TikTok Shop Next) 26:04 The Future of Sea Moss 34:01 Style, Stripped-Back Beauty & Free Founder Tools 45:25 London Spots, Coworking & Dream Collabs --- 💬 Become a guest [https://www.notion.so/12d1c0d4dc928089ac26f9161f3ba87e?pvs=21] 📓 2026 Journal Template [https://rebrand.ly/thehappinessbar] 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com [https://rebrand.ly/coguide] 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack [https://coffeeandoysters.substack.com/] 🎓 The Big Notion Energy Academy [https://thenotionzeitgeist.substack.com/p/the-big-notion-energy-academy] 📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CoffeeandOysters [https://rebrand.ly/coguide] 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandoysterspod [https://www.instagram.com/coffeeandoysterspod/] 📱TikTok: @coffeeandoysterspod [https://www.tiktok.com/@coffeeandoysterspod] Get full access to Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast at coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe [https://coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

She left BlackRock to build an AI startup in London | Sofia Hamilton | Souk

Why would you leave BlackRock as an investor to become a startup founder? What does it actually take to find co-founders at an accelerator? And which AI tools should every early-stage founder have permanently open on their desktop? London founder Sofia Hamilton [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-hamilton-sambrano/], COO and co-founder of Souk — the world's first AI partner development manager — joins Coffee & Oysters with business tips on leaving a prestigious finance career to build, fundraising as a female founder, and turning B2B partnerships into a real growth channel. Sofia breaks down how she went from marketing to BlackRock active equities to building a VC-backed AI startup through the Antler accelerator. She shares advice on when to hire (spend the money sooner than you think), what investors actually care about at early stage, why product-led growth is her current obsession, and how being an ex-investor changes the way you pitch Plus explore why Uniqlo is her secret weapon for emergency meeting outfits, why Claude and Lovable have become non-negotiable in her tech stack, and her favourite Somali restaurant in Finsbury Park. Additionally, learn about Dealer's Daughters - the niche London poker nights for women in finance and startups. --- Steal Sofia’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide. [https://rebrand.ly/coguide] Sofia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-hamilton-sambrano/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-hamilton-sambrano/] Souk Website: www.joinsouk.com [http://www.joinsouk.com] --- 00:00 Intro 03:03 What Souk Is & The B2B Partnerships 04:19 Leaving BlackRock & the Antler Story) 11:37 Hiring, Spending Money & VC-Backed Pace 13:43 Investor vs Founder - What Changes When You Switch Sides 22:25 Finding Customers Through Referrals & Partnerships 29:29 Top Tip for New Founders 43:25 Claude, Lovable & The Founder Tech Stack 55:31 London Gems: Best Somali Food & Hotel Lobbies for Coworking --- 💬 Become a guest [https://www.notion.so/12d1c0d4dc928089ac26f9161f3ba87e?pvs=21] 📓 2026 Journal Template [https://rebrand.ly/thehappinessbar] 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com [https://rebrand.ly/coguide] 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack [https://coffeeandoysters.substack.com/] 🎓 The Big Notion Energy Academy [https://thenotionzeitgeist.substack.com/p/the-big-notion-energy-academy] 📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CoffeeandOysters [https://rebrand.ly/coguide] 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandoysterspod [https://www.instagram.com/coffeeandoysterspod/] 📱TikTok: @coffeeandoysterspod [https://www.tiktok.com/@coffeeandoysterspod] Get full access to Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast at coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe [https://coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Surviving Corporate London as a Gen Z Woman | Wesleigh-Jane | Sisters Protect

How do you survive corporate as a Gen Z woman? How do you build a community while working a 9-to-5? And what are the best workwear brands for tall girls in London? London founder Wesleigh-Jane, the woman behind Sisters Protect, joins Coffee & Oysters with business tips on building a community for early-careers women in corporate, navigating office politics, and balancing a finance career with a thriving side hustle. Wesleigh-Jane [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/wesleigh-jane-p-757306185] breaks down how she turned her own workplace hurdles into a community-led business spanning strategy circles, a Corporate Survival Journal, and one-to-one consultancy. She shares advice on advocating for yourself in performance reviews, why intergenerational mentorship matters, and how she runs it all solo on evenings and weekends. Plus her go-to Soca gym anthems, beauty essentials from Fenty to Cécred, free tools like Google Sites and Canva, her favourite Notting Hill spots, best London hotels for coworking and London communities. --- Steal Wesleigh-Jane’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide. [https://rebrand.ly/coguide] Wesleigh-Jane on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/wesleigh-jane-p-757306185 [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/wesleigh-jane-p-757306185] --- 00:00 Intro 04:06 The Role of Sisters Protect 10:05 Why Corporate Wasn't Built For All of Us 21:06 Three Revenue Streams That Work 29:29 Advice For Starting Your Own Community 34:58 Outfits, Performance Reviews & Boundaries 43:25 Free Tools Every Solo Founder Needs 55:15 London Communities & Dream Collabs --- 💬 Become a guest [https://www.notion.so/12d1c0d4dc928089ac26f9161f3ba87e?pvs=21] 📓 2026 Journal Template [https://rebrand.ly/thehappinessbar] 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com [https://rebrand.ly/coguide] 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack [https://coffeeandoysters.substack.com/] 🎓 The Big Notion Energy Academy [https://thenotionzeitgeist.substack.com/p/the-big-notion-energy-academy] 📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CoffeeandOysters [https://rebrand.ly/coguide] 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandoysterspod [https://www.instagram.com/coffeeandoysterspod/] 📱TikTok: @coffeeandoysterspod [https://www.tiktok.com/@coffeeandoysterspod] Get full access to Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast at coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe [https://coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Predicting 2026 food & drink trends with Coachella | Grace Bryan | London CPG Expert

London food & drink development expert Grace Bryan [http://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-bryan-juicy-brick], co-founder of CPG agency Juicy Brick, joins Coffee & Oysters with business tips on trend forecasting, founder lifestyle, and building innovative food & drink brands. Grace breaks down how she spots trends by tracking repeated signals across CPG, pop culture, fashion, and TikTok, and discusses Gen Z’s changing relationship with alcohol. She compares UK vs US CPG scale and consumer behaviour, offers advice for UK brands entering the US, highlights “pinch me” moments like McDonald’s reaching out, and shares London favourites plus personal boundaries and tools like Dropbox, Canva, and LinkedIn. --- Steal Grace’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide. [https://rebrand.ly/coguide] Grace on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/grace-bryan-juicy-brick [http://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-bryan-juicy-brick] --- 00:00 Intro 06:53 Why Hospitality Builds Grit 11:01 LinkedIn Trend Spotting Ritual 15:45 Pop Culture to Product Ideas 19:26 Coachella Style Forecasting 29:01 UK vs US CPG Reality Check 37:10 Owning Your Wins 38:13 Influencers Building Brands 40:49 Boundaries and Work Life 44:38 Personal Style Uniform 45:54 Beauty and Tech Essentials 53:40 London Gems Quick Fire 01:00:15 Wins, Plugs & Dream Collabs --- 💬 Become a guest [https://www.notion.so/12d1c0d4dc928089ac26f9161f3ba87e?pvs=21] 📓 2026 Journal Template [https://rebrand.ly/thehappinessbar] 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com [https://rebrand.ly/coguide] 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack [https://coffeeandoysters.substack.com/] 🎓 The Big Notion Energy Academy [https://thenotionzeitgeist.substack.com/p/the-big-notion-energy-academy] 📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CoffeeandOysters [https://rebrand.ly/coguide] 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandoysterspod [https://www.instagram.com/coffeeandoysterspod/] 📱TikTok: @coffeeandoysterspod [https://www.tiktok.com/@coffeeandoysterspod] Get full access to Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast at coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe [https://coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]