Seasoned success with Sanjay Aggarwal of Spice Kitchen

S'more'a'licious was a kitchen table, pandemic project, started by Laura Vogan as she overcame postnatal depression following the birth of her daughter. It began with s'mores kits and has now developed to a full marshmallow business that makes its own delicious marshmallows, marshmallow fluff, and also continues to make s'more kits... but with her own marshmallows now! Laura talks about founding, scaling and growing the business, the highs (not just sugar ones!) on the journey, tricky times, feeling she couldn't carry on, working with influencers, going viral... and why she's quitting....  Before you panic (which was the reaction to Laura's post about this!), listen to the podcast. S'more'a'licious is very much here to stay, but the stress and worry connected to social media and the engagement posts receive (or don't!) has been put to one side, and Laura tells us why...

It can feel really strange telling the world about the product or service that you offer, can't it? But the harsh truth is that if you don't promote what you do or sell, then no one will know it exists. Even at the moment, when it's no secret that times are hard, it's STILL important to tell people what you do. Why? Because if you don't tell them, they won't know, and then when that person needs that thing, they won't even think of you. Business is tough right now, but without self promotion, you're in a downward spiral that doesn't lead anywhere good. In this episode, I share ways to make it feel less yucky and weird, how to reframe the situation, and why it really matters that you do this....

Ever heard of 'Stacey Solomon Day'? No, it's not an awareness day you've missed from your social media planner, it's a day- so called by Stamptastic- because it's the day that Stacey shared their product and everything changed, Stamptastic is a brilliant small business, designed to make anyone who has to label clothing's life a whole lot easier. But what you might not know is that Stacey Solomon blew up this brand a few years ago, and created something that is forever known by the Stamptastic team as 'Stacey Solomon Day'. In just 24 hours, Stamptastic made over £125k of sales from that one social share. Since this time, the brand has continued to develop. I'd heard about Stamptastic and Fran a while ago and followed the business, and then at this year's Small Business Sunday event, Fran spoke to Stacey (who was the fireside chat guest) and I was absolutely blown away. I knew I had to get her on the podcast... and luckily she accepted. It's a good one.

Doubter, naysayers, those who just don't 'get' you... know who I mean? Why on earth are you listening to them!? This podcast is all about those who say you can't... and more importantly, why it's REALLY important to not take this 'feedback' on board. It's inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger's book 'Be Useful- Seven Tools For Life' that I would absolutely recommend. The amount of times this man was laughed at, mocked and was told what he wanted wasn't possible is mind blowing. And let's be honest, he's not done too badly, has he?! We seem to take other people's uneducated opinions more seriously than our own. We don't accept that some people don't see things as we do, have our knowledge, our worldview, our drive or determination, and yet we let their doubt kill our dreams. Why this this? And that is what today's podcast is all about. How to smile and nod, think about who you share your goals with, and remember why you're in the best position to decide how your life is going to pan out...

I heard Sanjay Aggarwal, co founder of Spice Kitchen, speak at Theo Paphitis' SBS Event in 2024. He was part of a panel and talked about how his business started as a project to keep his mum, co founder Shashi, busy in her retirement. Little did they know what that Christmas Day idea would grow into... and how it continues to grow today. After being inspired by Sanjay's story and his take on business too, I reached out to see if he'd come and share his wisdom on the podcast, and to my delight he accepted. We talk about the start of the business, when he knew that it was going to be a success, the highs, lows, learning curve, saying no to supermarkets and a whole lot more. It's a masterclass that I think you're going to love.

Trends can be a great way to increase reach and engagement on the social media content we post, but are all trends good trends? That's what today's podcast is all about. In the world we live in, jumping on trends is seen as a fast track to viral content. Not only is this not exactly true, but jumping on the wrong trends that conflict with your brand values can be hugely damaging. That's why it's important to assess each trend- not just in terms of reach, but in terms of deeper brand values, alignment, and whether or not it's going to actively support your ethos and efforts, or work against them. Find out how on today's episode...

Lucy Claire Dunbar has an incredible brand, very exciting plans for the future, and a huge presence online and beyond. Social media was the catalyst that took her drawings from sketches for herself to the world, and what a brand she's built.  Lucy has drawn illustrations capturing so many poignant moments, from the pandemic to Vernon Kay's marathons, Mrs Hinch's support of her son Ronnie to how sad everyone felt when Matthew Perry passed away. She has a real skill for seeing what's going on in the world and being able to capture this is a way that speaks to so many people. But Lucy didn't fall into this. Her journey to get here today was long and went via some very serious health issues, limiting beliefs (thanks to some of her teachers!), lack of confidence, and way more besides.  Lucy's story is very inspiring. She shares all about how she came to be where she is now, drawing celebs, growing on social media, and why people really should just go for it.

Have you see the rebranding of Tate and Lyle? It's transformed its logo from a dead lion being circled by a number of bees to something a lot more modern... but you might be surprised to know which part of the process caused a stir. Was it the old logo depicting a dead lion? (I didn't notice either!) Or that people thought the logo change was a win for the 'woke' brigade?! I read similar headlines more than once and was more than a little dumbfounded. Today, I chat about why people rebrand, why rebrands are hard, and how- just maybe- we need to cut brands a little bit of slack? Enjoy!

Susan Bonnar is one heck of a lady! She started her career in the Royal Navy as an air traffic controller, but after twenty plus years, she left as her husband was also serving and she needed to be at home for her family. During her time in the Navy, she'd started making cards and wanted to do more of this when she left but realised that without a network, it was incredibly hard to reach an audience and sell. This led to the formation of a collaborative group, which developed over time to become the British Craft House... but it wasn't a linear journey. In fact, it was listening to Sir Tom Hunter at Theo Paphitis' SBS event a few years ago that kicked everything up a level, as Susan discusses on today's episode. And it's gone full circle... at Theo's event last week, Susan was a speaker on the main stage. And she was hugely inspiring and simply incredible. What a lady... you're going to love this one...

Did you know that Facebook was 20 in February? How old does that make you feel?! Well, in light of this pretty momentous birthday, I took the time to reflect on how social media has changed our lives over the last 20 years. What we've learnt, what we are now able to access, what it's meant for business, the dangers, the future, and so much more besides. And yes, Facebook being 20 makes me feel really old. But I did spend the first few years dodging friend request from people I tried to avoid in real life at school, so I wasn't the first one on there, but I have been there much longer than I'd like to admit. What about you? How do you think Facebook and social media in general has changed the way we live? The way we do business? For good and bad? I'd love to know...