When you think of startup founders you might imagine the global glitterati; Melanie Perkins of Canva, or Marcia Kilgore of Beauty Pie, Bliss, Soap & Glory and Fitflop fame or those clever lads at Monzo. As inspiring as they are, as a marketing agency for startups, we spoke to some of our pals who have leapt into founder land. Come and meet this wave of female founders who are doing brilliant things combining hard graft, community and ingenuity. We’ve gathered a snapshot of the highs and lows of their journeys so far to inspire, share and keep it real.
First up we spoke to Lucy Lafferty-Brown, CEO of The Common Ground and co – founder of GROWCoin, the women’s coin which launched literally, last week. Her vision for the common ground is that it’s a new way to do business that benefits the many, not the few. A marketplace for, and owned by women and at its heart is GROWcoin. As part of her journey she has been finding awesome like-minded women around the world to brainstorm with, develop ideas and plans for the new women’s coin. A major high;
“Witnessing the growth of our community and seeing the first group of women downloading our digital wallet last week and claiming their Grow Coin”. Lucy Lafferty-Brown
These are moments to hold on to. And then on the flipside, encountering media resistance to the new concept as it is still so early in the space and difficult to wrap heads around. GROWcoin sounds complicated but in simple terms, it is a governance token with utility. It can be earned by buying, selling, leaving a review, referring to friends, and gamification activities such as growing plants or even just logging on. It can be spent in-platform on up to 50% off sellers commission fees, promotional fees, and also on discounts on products and services (if you’re a buyer) as well as giving you voting rights to help guide the platform in key decisions. You may also stake your tokens to earn further rewards.
She also notes it was especially trying when she was; “suspended by Meta just before a scheduled marketing campaign and still haven’t reached anyone human there to help fix it!" Hands up who can relate to this? We for sure have experienced a meta campaign spanner and finance tell us they still owe us a few quid. And of course “the ‘grinding’ of building up a marketplace which has a stream of new products and reviews to keep up with the building demand.” It can feel relentless.
Alex Sudron, launched Plia Parasols a year ago, after struggling to find a nice parasol for her own garden. She has since made it her mission to scour the world to find the best makers and fabrics to work with. It’s early days and she is definitely putting her back into it, so much so that she delivered a parasol to a client herself, moving the base and injuring her back which still isn’t 100%. Not to mention the accidental damage to a sample parasol frame expensively shipped from South Africa, which she accidentally broke beyond repair within ten minutes of its arrival. And that time when as Alex tells us:
“ I went all out on eye-wateringly expensive fabric to make a one-off PR attention-grabbing parasol, only to find the fabric was too narrow and couldn’t be used. The fabric is still sitting in the workshop ten months later.” Alex Sudron
Success in the press has kept her spirits high from features in Monocle, Livingetc, Country & Town House and Gardens Illustrated magazine, within the first three months of launching the business. She got all the coverage herself as a PR novice. Not to mention shooting the first parasols in the Grand Designs House of the Year. “A fun pinch me moment in the early months of the business.” Impressive.
Finding your tribe is also part of the challenge. For Alex, good fortune, a cheeky-ask and a smart contra-deal delivered an exhibition stand at the trade show Decorex. Which doubled in size when two weeks before the show when the exhibitor next door pulled out. Lady luck sometimes makes an appearance.
We took a walk with fellow dog lover and founder of Lecopain, Paula Cifre. The first haute couture dog accessory brand, 100% made in France with vegan leather made from apples. And her designs are beautiful on people too. She still gets a buzz when “you realise your product is useful, the customer loves it and they commit to the brand.” Of course there’s also the magic that happens behind the scenes, “seeing how the team enjoys their work, how they are aligned with the company’s philosophy and what we’re trying to do.
Disappointments happen too, it’s especially hard when you trust a professional’s expertise and they don’t deliver on their promises. Luckily, this has only happened a few times. Then the precarity of not having the certainty of income at the end of the month. You have to frame that as part of the adventure! Paula Cifre
Gabriella Bord, DNA which is a software built for PR, Comms & Marketing teams to share and manage files in ways that genuinely work better. Imagine, a hassle-free content hub, media library, and newsroom all rolled into one making a brand’s vision a reality. Sounds pretty tidy to us.
“When we look at our product roadmap and the work we’ve delivered (from content creation to building a startup brand from the ground up) is so rewarding. Meaningful progress that’s aligned to our core values drives us forward. As a small business, we’ve been incredibly lucky to work with global brands and inspiring startups. We just get to do good work with good people and that gets me out of bed every morning. We’re really committed to delivering an amazing product in DNA that our clients love (after a recent launch, our client said their ‘brand hub, was a game-changer’).” Gabriella Bord
Gabriella reminds us to celebrate the milestones with talented people who are onboard with the mission. Getting the right cast into the core team plus a supporting collective is always motivational and energising. Shared learning is an essential element of the culture that Gabriella has been building. It helps navigate the tougher times when the pressure and the juggle can be mind blowing. From accounting to strategising, to building a product and planning, then to sales and client servicing. We can all relate to the need to strengthen boundaries around time, delegate well and be real about what can be achieved in a day.
There’s that old adage that it’s lonely at the top (the monthly salary must console somewhat) whereas for startups it can be isolating. As Gabriella points out; “You’re making big decisions, sitting with a lot of pressure, even when you surround yourself with amazing people. I’m someone that processes things slowly and in those moments I have to get better at asking for help.”
And to end on another sage observation, as you become more established you can use your voice and your platform. “I find it really difficult to bear witness to the atrocities playing out on social media every single day then shifting entirely into ‘normal’ work mode and conversations. I’ve felt compelled to use my voice, but this wasn’t an easy thing to do at first - however, it has enabled me to build new communities with people who align with my values in a way that gives me a great sense of peace.” Word.
While there’s so much more to be said, we must pause there. A lush lay-by to take a beat and reflect on where your startup has taken you. If you’re keen to find out more about our startup marketing kit click here.
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