Start-up marketing stories: The Marketing Hustle

Today’s guest is Sara Tateno, founder of Happity – the platform helping parents find baby & toddler classes while powering thousands of small but mighty businesses behind them. Sara didn’t come from tech, but a second pregnancy, a house move and the panic of “how will I cope this time?” led her to spot a huge, overlooked problem: why was it still so hard to find local classes in the age of smartphones and slick consumer apps?With a management consulting background, Sara could see the commercial opportunity instantly... millions of children, hundreds of classes per neighbourhood, and class providers trying to scale with no proper booking, data or marketing tools. But the people feeling this pain were new parents without access to capital or tech skills. So she decided to become the technical founder herself.In this conversation, Sara shares how she went from BBC strategy to Google’s startup incubator for parents, discovered coding through a “bring your baby” learn-to-code group, and then enrolled in an intense 12‑week bootcamp while her husband took shared parental leave. She built the first version of Happity herself, pulled in classmates to help, and used that prototype to prove there was both a deep emotional need (maternal mental health, community, connection) and a serious global business.We talk about what it really looked like to build a remote-first, flexible company pre‑pandemic, not as a lifestyle perk, but as a way to access incredible, often “overqualified” talent who were being locked out of traditional roles because of rigid working patterns. Sara shares the reality of recruiting parents hungry for meaningful work, the uncomfortable dynamic of turning down high-calibre applicants for low-paid roles, and how that revealed just how broken the flexible work market really was.We also get into the messy bits: launching the site while her daughter was in and out of hospital with appendicitis and how those moments forced her to recalibrate boundaries around family time, school holidays and presence at home. We explore how she and her co-founder restructured their own work to protect both the business and their mental health – and why she believes founders and investors need to talk far more honestly about burnout, caregiving and sustainability.Finally, we zoom out to the industry. Sara unpacks the “cutesy” stigma around businesses focused on babies and mums, and why the term “mompreneur” has been so dismissive of entrepreneurs running genuinely large, often international operations in this space. She explains why impact community, maternal mental health and connection isn’t a side-story but the backbone of Happity’s commercial strategy, and how investor attitudes to “impact + returns” have shifted since they first started fundraising.We also dive into:How a Google incubator for parents and a remote accelerator opened doors that would otherwise have stayed shutWhy learning to code changed Sara’s mindset as a founder and why “I don’t know yet, but I’ll figure it out” is the ultimate entrepreneurial skillWhat it’s really like to go through an intensive bootcamp with a newborn at home – and why she doesn’t romanticise itThe trade-offs, mistakes and course corrections she’s made as a mum and founder (including the ones she still thinks about)Why 97% of Happity’s traffic is organic and what that says about building products that meet a truly urgent needThe nuances of marketing to mums: clarity over fluff, “trusted friend” over judgement, and brutally honest usefulness over cutesy pastel brand-speakThis is a powerful, unvarnished look at how Sara built a serious tech business from the most “domestic” of problems and why motherhood can be a catalyst for bigger, not smaller, ambitions.

Today's guest is Jade Howes, Brand Marketing Lead for Little Freddie and an experienced marketer who parented through different corporate environments. In this raw and honest conversation, Jade dives into the difficult and often isolating journey of working motherhood. She shares her experience navigating formal and informal support systems at both a massive corporate business (Unilever) and a smaller, founder-led company (Little Freddie).Jade talks candidly about the fear and "self-inflicted" anxiety around pregnancy announcements early in her career, confronting the "stigma against young mums," and the huge challenges of returning to a restructured, remote work environment on the literal first day of lockdown. She also shares the deeply isolating experience of managing Hyperemesis Gravidarum during her second pregnancy and the lack of support and understanding for this "crippling condition."Despite the hardship, Jade reveals the profound, almost "oxymoronic" truth: facing these challenges created a "powerhouse of a skillset" that ultimately fuelled her professional confidence and drive.We also dive into:The difference between formal support in large corporates and the "freedom of expectation" in smaller businesses.Why the internal pressure and fear of judgement were tougher than any reality at work.How enduring Hyperemesis Gravidarum became a tipping point for self-belief.The "Phoenix Imposter Syndrome" and the continuous, complex web of "mum guilt."This episode is a must-listen for anyone who understands that parenting and career success is less about "having it all" and more about muddling through a "whole hot mess."As mentioned in the episode, for support regarding Hyperemesis Gravidarum, here is the link to the charity: Pregnancy Sickness Support

This episode's guest is Jo Wong - a commercial leader turned founder whose career spans Estée Lauder, People Care Planet Care, and now a consultancy supporting Black women to access capital and grow their businesses.But this conversation isn’t just about career success.It’s about what happens when life stacks everything at once, and you still have to keep going.Jo found out she was pregnant just days after being accepted onto an Executive MBA. What followed was a period of intense challenge: navigating pregnancy without ADHD medication, completing her MBA while raising a newborn, experiencing postpartum anxiety, and facing redundancy while on maternity leave.But this isn't a story isn’t about burnout.It’s about resilience.Jo reframes motherhood not as something that slows you down, but as something that fundamentally changes your capacity as a leader, as a person, and as someone navigating ambition.We talk about the “marathon of resilience” that starts long before the baby arrives, the pressure women feel to prove themselves, and the moment when success shifts from titles and recognition to something much more personal.We also dive into:Why motherhood can make you a stronger leader (not a less ambitious one)What it really looks like to do an MBA with a babyADHD, pregnancy and postpartum and how neurodiversity shows up in motherhoodThe reality of postnatal anxiety and why it’s often misunderstoodWhy you need to “get your pink back” after having a babyHow to set boundaries that actually hold between work and lifeBuilding community as an expat mumRedefining success beyond titles, pay and external validationThis is a conversation about identity, ambition, and learning how to hold multiple versions of yourself at once - without losing who you are.

This episode The Maternity Hustle is called “Getting Pregnant Was Her Best Leadership Decision” and we’re thrilled to be joined by Amelia Christie-Miller, founder of Bold Bean Co. Amelia was  around six weeks away from her due date and deep in the most intense version of “the messy middle”.Amelia was at that very specific founder crossroads: the business was growing, big brand moments were landing (including a major book launch and PR push), and she’d just made her biggest hire yet - a new Marketing Director -  right as she was preparing to step back for maternity leave. Terrifying? Yes. Also potentially the best thing she could have done for the business.In this conversation, we go beyond the surface-level “how are you feeling?” and get into the operational and emotional reality of pregnancy as a founder: the transition period before the baby arrives, why coming off Slack and email matters, how to set escalation points so you can truly switch off, and the pressure women feel to perform ambition while becoming a mum.Amelia shares why she wants to take 3–4 months out (and prove that founders don’t have to be on investor calls two weeks postpartum), how pregnancy has already changed the way she leads, and why she’s intentionally building maximum self-compassion into her plan -  so she doesn’t trap herself in promises she might not be able (or want) to keep.We also talk about how moving to Barcelona changed everything: boundaries, pace, childcare infrastructure, and the cultural difference of living somewhere where families are actually supported. It’s a sharp contrast to the UK, where even high-performing founders still feel the financial pressure of childcare -  and where the lack of structural support quietly shapes women’s career decisions years before they ever have kids.Finally, we get into Bold Bean itself: what it looks like to scale a brand that’s grown through organic PR and community magic, why the next stage may require changing gears (without losing the soul), and how stepping away can create the vacuum that lets a team thrive.We cover:Planning maternity leave as a founder: the “wind-down” before birth and the return-to-work transitionHiring a Marketing Director right before mat leave (and why it might be the best forcing function)The “power woman” pressure vs the reality of what you actually wantIdentity, ambition, judgement, and modelling what’s permissible for your teamUK vs Spain: maternity cover, childcare costs, and the culture of family supportScaling Bold Bean beyond early adopters while protecting the magicThe most underrated advice: “There’s never a good time” + “Good enough is good enough”If you’re a founder, marketer, or ambitious woman thinking about kids -  or already navigating it - this episode will feel like someone finally said the quiet part out loud.🎙️ New episodes every fortnight.

Luna Daily CEO & co-founder Katy Cottam joins The Maternity Hustle to talk about fundraising while pregnant, building a maternity plan A/B/C, and why you don’t need to apologise for a life stage that can actually make you a better founder. Expect real talk on gender politics, returning to work, and the systems that make stepping back possible.Welcome to our first interview in this season of The Maternity Hustle - a series about marketing, working life and motherhood, and the real juggle in the messy middle. This week, Lottie is joined by Katy Cottam, CEO & co-founder of Luna Daily, the women’s body care brand tackling taboo categories (and one that got Lottie through pregnancy and early motherhood).Katy shares what it’s really like to navigate pregnancy as a founder in growth mode - from the fear of telling investors and team, to choosing transparency anyway, and discovering that the response can be far more positive than the doom-and-gloom narrative suggests. They also get into the operational reality: how you plan for time away when you can’t truly plan for birth, recovery, or what you’ll want to do on the other side - and how maternity can fast-track the hires and structure your business needed anyway.The conversation goes deeper into the stuff founders don’t say out loud: fertility anxiety, imposter syndrome building a maternity range before becoming a mum, the gender politics of who “gets” to take time off, and why “maternity leave” is a misleading phrase when the job is 24/7. It’s funny, honest, practical - and ultimately a rallying cry to own the moment, build the plan, and come back stronger.We also dive into:Telling investors you’re pregnant mid-fundraise (and why transparency can build trust)The “plan A/B/C” approach for founders who can’t predict recovery or capacityHow maternity can force the business to grow up: roles, responsibilities, and stepping backWhy buying for the mum matters (and why the support drop-off happens after the first few weeks)Gender roles, breastfeeding, and the reality of shared parental leave in the UKWriting parental leave policies in a startup: what’s possible vs what’s rightPractical advice: process mapping, under-promising, and setting yourself up to return well

Motherhood is a hot mess of love, guilt, change and tiny decisions… and it turns out an “agile marketing mindset” might be one of the most useful tools you’ve got. In this episode, Anna from Sticky Beak flips the script and interviews you on cognitive load, mum guilt, identity shifts, and why building a village matters more than perfect routinesThis episode kicks off a slightly different kind of series: not just marketing, but marketing, working life, and motherhood - the real juggle in the messy middle. Joined by Anna from Stickybeak.co, we unpack what the early weeks of parenting actually feel like: the speed of change, the identity whiplash, the guilt of not loving every second, and the relief that comes with finally getting small pockets of time back.We’ll explore how motherhood reshapes behaviour in surprising ways - from “one hand scrolling, one hand feeding” to becoming an online grocery shopper whose basket is basically a locked favourites list (and what that means for brands trying to break into a closed circle). Our conversation explores the emotional and practical reality of cognitive load: why your brain feels like mush, why things drop, and why it doesn’t mean you’re failing - it means you’re carrying a lot.The big through-line is this: the skills that make you a brilliant marketer (curiosity, testing, learning fast, asking questions, adapting) can make you a more confident parent too. And equally, parenting teaches you resilience, decision-making and self-trust in a way work rarely does. It’s an honest, funny, reassuring conversation about building systems without losing softness - and remembering you don’t need to do everything, you just need to do what’s right right now.We also dive into:The guilt spiral: wanting to be present and wanting to work -  and why both can be trueHow cognitive load shows up in real life “Testing the edges”: micro-experiments that help you grow confidence week by weekWhy “martyrdom” shows up in parenting and marketing, and how to share the loadCommunity as survival: your village, your partnership, and the permission to engage in your own way“Oxygen mask first”: checking in with yourself so you can show up calmer for everyone

She’s built one of the most beloved food brands on the planet and she’s done it without spending big on ads. Shona Campbell, Chief Marketing Officer of Ottolenghi, shares how she’s turning global awareness into commercial success through partnerships, storytelling and an obsession with earned media.Welcome to the Marketing Hustle - a podcast about the real work behind building bold brands. We go behind the scenes with founders and marketing leaders to hear honest, unfiltered stories of what actually drives growth and cuts through the noise to build something that lasts.Today’s guest is Shona Campbell, Chief Growth and Marketing Officer at Ottolenghi - one of the world’s most iconic food brands. In this episode, Shona shares the fascinating reality of scaling a 23-year-old brand that’s known everywhere, but only truly sold in London. From the evolution of book marketing to launching grocery products and Substack, Shona reveals how Ottolenghi stays relevant, loved and profitable, all with almost no paid media. She also opens up about balancing luxury brand thinking with startup agility, how to protect creative values at scale and why sometimes, saying “no” is the most strategic growth move you can make.

What does it take to build a creative culture that lasts? CMO Sandie Dilger shares how Proper turned culture into a commercial advantage - from lunch-table rituals to balloon-filled pitch decks.Welcome to the Marketing Hustle - a podcast about the real work behind building bold brands. We go behind the scenes with founders and marketing leaders to hear honest, unfiltered stories of what actually drives growth and cuts through the noise to build something that lasts.In this episode, Sandie lifts the lid on Proper Snacks’ iconic creative culture. From theatrical trade pitches to free vegetarian lunches that bring everyone together, every detail is designed to spark creativity and connection.We explore what it really takes to scale culture without losing what makes it special and how creative leadership can be your biggest competitive advantage.

Oddbox has rescued over 60 million kilos of wonky fruit and veg, but their real story is one of brand, mission and heart. Former CMO Gaston Tourn reveals how Oddbox scaled purpose without losing soul and why doing good doesn’t mean growing slow.Welcome to the Marketing Hustle - a podcast about the real work behind building bold brands. We go behind the scenes with founders and marketing leaders to hear honest, unfiltered stories of what actually drives growth and cuts through the noise to build something that lasts.In this episode, Gaston Tourn, former CMO of Oddbox, takes us inside one of the UK’s most beloved mission-led brands. From scrappy startup to national household name, Oddbox didn’t just sell boxes of veg - they sold a movement against food waste.Gaston opens up about the realities of growing a purpose-driven brand: how to scale a mission, stay authentic and make sustainability commercially powerful. He also shares lessons on leadership, creativity and what it really means to be a marketer who wants to make a difference.Expect insights on:How Oddbox built a brand that people root for (pun intended)Turning mission into measurable impactThe emotional side of leadership in fast-growth teamsWhat purpose-led marketing looks like in the age of AIIt’s inspiring, practical and surprisingly honest - a must-listen for anyone building a brand that wants to do good and do well.

Butternut Box is on track to become Europe’s #2 pet food brand, but still feels like a “secret discovery brand.” Interim Brand & Creative Director Sarah Keegan reveals how she’s using her mat leave cover to reset the brand platform, overhaul design and prepare Butternut for its next decade.Welcome to the Marketing Hustle - a podcast about the real work behind building bold brands. We go behind the scenes with founders and marketing leaders to hear honest, unfiltered stories of what actually drives growth and cuts through the noise to build something that lasts.Today’s guest is Sarah Keegan, Interim Brand & Creative Director at Butternut Box - the DTC pet food brand that’s quietly become Europe’s leading fresh dog food provider and is on track to become the second largest pet food brand across the continent.Sarah stepped into her maternity cover role with a reputation for thriving in transition moments and she hasn’t wasted a second. Instead of just “holding the fort,” she’s set about putting the foundations in place for Butternut’s next 10 years: a new visual identity, a brand platform, a creative agency pitch and a sharper positioning that matches the business’s true scale.In this conversation, Sarah opens up about:Why Butternut’s perception as a “small challenger” no longer matches realityThe difference between fighting against something (kibble) and standing for something bigger (the love of dogs)How to break down silos between brand and performance with small, everyday ritualsWhy events, referrals and ambassadors are still central to Butternut’s growth storyThe commercial rigour and cultural rituals that make Butternut tickWe also dive into Sarah’s career across three very different challenger brands (OVO Energy, Vertical Aerospace, Butternut Box) and why the best marketing work happens when you’re brave enough to fight for the bold ideas.This episode is packed with lessons on scaling challenger brands into decade-defining category leaders.