Being Open and Vulnerable: The Year We Almost Lost Everything

Being Open and Vulnerable: The Year We Almost Lost Everything

Being Open and Vulnerable | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 9 This is the episode we almost didn't make.2019 was one of our best years in business. We had a head office, a team of area managers, 147 staff across four nurseries, and for the first time, the space to step back and become businesswomen rather than nursery workers. Then Covid hit. In this episode we get honest about what came next: closing all four nurseries, a staffing crisis nobody saw coming, and months of pretending everything was fine when it wasn't. We talk about the moment our accountant sat us down and told us we had six months before liquidation, the conversation that followed, and the decision that changed everything: closing two of our nurseries to save the business. We get into the attachment we couldn't let go of, the ego we had to check, and the lesson it took us years to learn about trusting our team enough to actually lead them. And we share the story of Lina, one of our own staff members, who went on to buy one of our nurseries and is now thriving with four of her own. This one is raw. But it's also one of the most important conversations we've had. Timestamps 00:02:00 - Being businesswomen 00:05:00 - Covid 00:08:00 - Feeling like a failure 00:10:00 - Holding each other up 00:12:00 - Liquidation 00:15:00 - Attachment 00:20:00 - Checking your ego 00:25:00 - Trust with your team 00:32:00 - Lina's story 00:37:00 - Takeaways Key Takeaways - You can't carry the hardest moments in business alone: lean on your accountant, your business partner, your team. - Quantity isn't success. Knowing you have enough is. - And real leadership means trusting your team enough to let them in, instead of carrying everything yourself. Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle. Follow the PodPodcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustle For collaborations & enquiries: team@empowersoundsmedia.com

Work Life Balance as a Business Owner | Does It Even Exist?

Work-Life Balance | Does It Even Exist? | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 8 In this episode, we get honest about what balance really looks like when you're running a business, raising a family, and trying to show up as your best self all at the same time. We talk about the overwhelming weeks, the guilt of not giving 100% to everything at once, and the small rituals that help us reset: from a dog walk to a list, a voice note to a quiet cup of coffee before the house wakes up. We also get into why balance looks different every single week, why you don't have to do everything all at once, and what we'd whisper to our younger selves if we could go back. Give yourself the permission to sleep, to say no, to switch off, and to know that the education and support available now simply didn't exist when we started out. This one is honest, warm, and full of the kind of real talk that only comes from 23 years of figuring it out together. Timestamps 00:02:00 - Does work-life balance even exist? 00:05:20 - The importance of being open with your business partner 00:10:00 - You don't have to do everything all at once 00:14:40 - Take care of yourself first 00:16:00 - What we would say to our younger selves 00:20:00 - What you need to know if you're starting in the industry now Key Takeaways - Look after yourself first, because if you don't show up for yourself, you can't show up for your team. - Find the reset rituals that work for you and protect them. - Be open with your business partner about how you're really feeling. - And if you're just starting out, you are so lucky to have the tools, the education, and the support that simply didn't exist when we began. Make use of that! Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle. Follow the PodPodcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustle For collaborations & enquiries: team@empowersoundsmedia.com

How to Market Your Business on a Shoestring Budget | What We Wish We Knew From Day One

Marketing & Branding | What We Wish We Knew From Day One | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 7 What 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. Timestamps 00:02:00 - How we met Jagz 00:03:00 - Meet Jagz 00:06:30 - The importance of logos 00:08:30 - What does your audience want? 00:17:00 - Social media 00:25:00 - Storytelling and being real 00:32:00 - How to use different marketing tools 00:40:00 - How to pitch yourself and do market research 00:50:00 - Trust Key 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 Pod Podcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustle For collaborations & enquiries: team@empowersoundsmedia.com

The HR Mistakes That Could Cost You Everything

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: team@empowersoundsmedia.com

How We Survived the Early Years of Business With No Money & No Guarantees

Eat. Sleep. Repeat. | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 5 What 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 - Confidence Key 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.hustle For collaborations & enquiries: team@empowersoundsmedia.com [team@empowersoundsmedia.com]