{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6762dca9d9cd65ec1eb4ee70/69f0710002fc814be0aaeb6f?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Ep 74: How SOJO Got Into Selfridges: The Real Story","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/6762dca9d9cd65ec1eb4ee70/1777365092688-52f99f74-59bf-4b7c-b1a8-84308fa19e14.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>Josephine Philips is the founder of SOJO, the UK's first on-demand clothing alterations and repairs app. She started SOJO by manually cycling garments across London to validate the idea before raising £1.8M in pre-seed funding (backed by Depop's own founder), landed Forbes 30 Under 30, and opened a permanent concession in Selfridges.</p><p>In this episode, Josephine gets brutally honest about the real journey: finding a tech co-founder early on,, the hiring mistakes that slowed her down, a six-week fundraising sprint that changed everything, and what it actually means to build with the end in mind.</p><p><br></p><p>This is a masterclass in doing more with less, moving fast without breaking your team, and why representation in VC funding is still one of the most urgent conversations in entrepreneurship.</p><p><br></p><p>What we cover:</p><ul><li>Finding a tech co-founder as a non-technical founder</li><li>Navigating the fashion space outside of fast fashion</li><li>Finding a niche in a typically crowded space</li><li>The timings and strategy of raising investment</li><li>The stats around investment for Black Women</li><li>Hiring and growing a team for your business, not following the status quo</li><li>How to build a B2B strategy without losing focus</li><li>How to SOJO x Selfridges Partnership happened&nbsp;</li><li>The honest truth about representation in VC</li></ul><p><br></p><p>If you're building something new or struggling to articulate why your idea matters, this one's for you.</p><p><br></p><p>We Are Ladies Who Launch!&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>CHAPTERS</p><p>00:00 Meet Josephine, Sojo Founder</p><p>03:17 The Tailoring Niche</p><p>07:48 The Problem with Fast Fashion</p><p>13:52 Validating The Business Idea</p><p>16:59 Finding A Tech Co-Founder</p><p>22:24 Launch Traction And Press</p><p>23:40 Funding And Getting Investment</p><p>29:48 Hiring Growing Pains</p><p>33:01 Corporate vs Startup Hiring</p><p>34:19 The Right Time For Funding&nbsp;</p><p>35:24 More Team Slower Progress</p><p>37:09 Focussing On Your B2B Strategy</p><p>38:11 Where Is Sojo Today?</p><p>39:16 Hiring for Complementary Skills</p><p>41:36 Testing Agility in Interviews</p><p>43:43 Representation in VC Funding</p><p>47:53 6-Week Fundraising Sprint</p><p>50:57 Selfridges Partnership Breakdown</p><p>54:49 Global Expansion Plans</p><p>01:00:33 Build With the End in Mind</p><p><br></p><p>🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>FOLLOW SOJO</strong></p><p><strong>SOJO Instagram:</strong> <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sojo.uk/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.instagram.com/sojo.uk/</a></p><p><strong>Josephine Instagram: </strong><a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/josephine__philips/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.instagram.com/josephine__philips/</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>FOLLOW US</strong></p><p><strong>Instagram:</strong> www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/</p><p><strong>TikTok:</strong> www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch</p><p><strong>YouTube: </strong>www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch</p>","author_name":"Rochelle Humes"}