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The Busi-Ness Podcast with Emily Austen

The Busi-Ness Podcast

Season 1

Welcome to The Busi-Ness Podcast.


I’m Emily Austen, founder and CEO of London based PR Agency, EMERGE. I am passionate about launching and scaling small businesses, and have been fortunate enough in my 13 year career, to work with some of the most exciting, category defining brands in the world. I started my business when I was 22 years old, fresh out of University. Since that time, the world has got louder. Our expectations have got harder, and our lives have become busier. Fobbing friends off with the stock answer we have all became accustomed to, ‘I’m so busy,’ is an attempt to compel, conflate and convince. But when did being too busy become a mark of status? Why is the goal to never have any free time? And just what the fuck is everyone doing? Are we setting unrealistic expectations for future entrepreneurs and business owners, by encouraging them that a maniacal approach to diarising is the standard?


This podcast aims to give you a realistic, detailed insight into the honest stories, the failures, the triumphs, the intricacies, the mistakes, the come backs, the fuck ups, from those set to make their mark; the leaders, movers and shakers, trailblazers and game changers. We cover imposter syndrome, cashflow, hiring and firing, call out culture, resilience, anxiety, global growth, daily routines + knowing when to quit, choosing the best in the Busi-ness, to help you cut through the noise, and optimise your success. 

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  • 49. Pip Durell, Founder of With Nothing Underneath.

    01:06:00
    Pip Durell is a former Vogue stylist and Tatler editor, starting her own label, With Nothing Underneath, to create the perfect shirt after finding herself adjusting men's tailoring for her own use. We chatted extensively about not being cool kids, early experience, how Pip learnt her talents, hard graft and working in an actual cupboard.
  • 48. Marcia Kilgore, Founder of Beauty Pie.

    01:01:24
    Marcia Kilgore is a serial entrepreneur. She sold her first business LVMH in 2004 for a rumoured £25 million. Next up was Soap & Glory, which she sold to Boots in 2014 with over £100 million in revenue. Soaper Duper and Fitflop are globally successful businesses. Marcia’s latest mission, is Netflix for Beauty, and she wants you to have a piece of the Beauty Pie. It’s the first business Marcia has raised money for (over £100 million), and she chatted candidly with me about her extensive business journey. We talked about her obsession with customer experience, work life balance, and her secret sauce. 
  • 46. Conna Walker, Founder and CEO of House of CB

    01:02:21
    Conna Walker is the real deal. She started her now multi million pound brand as a teenager, and now, over a decade later, House of CB is one of the most successful online retailers in this space. Conna, splitting her time between London and LA, spoke candidly with me about how she's launched the iconic affordable luxury brand, with collections loved by Beyonce, J-Lo and Kylie Jenner, to name but a few. With millions of followers on social media and having been voted Forbes 30 under 30, Conna chatted to me about the launches that didn't work, how to keep company culture alive when you're scaling quickly, how her family shaped her business journey, and her thoughts on a company exit.
  • 44. Georgie Coleridge-Cole, Founder of Sheerluxe

    45:12
    Georgie Coleridge Cole founded Sheerluxe in 2007. As a lifestyle and fashion content platform, Sheerluxe has amassed a dedicated readership, most recently sending the brand viral on Tik Tok. It's accessible, aspirational and relatable advice and content has resonated with young people, and Georgie talks openly about her business journey. How she started, how it has had to evolve, what she looks for when hiring, and where she's made mistakes. Sheerluxe is a sensation, and Georgie is steering the ship. Tune in to hear more about her musings.
  • 45. Albert Hill and Matt Gibberd, Co-Founders of Modern House

    01:05:21
    Albert Hill and Matt Gibbert founded their hugely successful business, The Modern House, in 2008. The Modern House is a British estate agent that specialises in the sale and promotion of Modernist and 20th century architecture. We chatted about the challenges of keeping a brand relevant in the quest for long term business success, focused on hiring and how it can make or break a business, and how emotional intelligence is at the heart of their decision making. A hugely insightful and honest episode relevant for both those within the industry, and those who are not.
  • 47. Eva Alexandridis, Founder of 111 Skin

    56:49
    Eva Alexandridis founded 111 Skin with her husband, the hugely successful Dr Yannis. The brand started as a solution for aftercare for patients who had undergone surgical procedures. With a BA in International Business + a Masters, learning and travelling shaped Eva's world view. 111 Skin has grown to become a huge global brand. In over 85 luxury hotel spas, a list of enviable celebrities that swear by the product, including Olivia Palermo, Ashley Graham, Rosie Huntington-Whitely to Priyanka Chopra, Bella Hadid and Margot Robbie and a viral sheet mask, Eva has made the brand a household name, in a difficult market to crack. In this candid chat, Eva shares with me the reality of her business journey, the highs and lows and what she would do differently with what she knows now.
  • 41. Special Episode: Emily Austen x Harper's Bazaar

    10:04
    This week, Harper’s Bazaar commissioned Emily to write a piece about how the the Spring 2023 Budget will affect entrepreneurs and business owners in the UK. As a cause close to her heart, Emily jumped at the opportunity and has recorded a special podcast episode, reading in full the published article, that can be found below:https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/people-parties/bazaar-at-work/a43334748/spring-budget-entrepreneurs-start-ups/
  • 40. Dan Warne, Founder of Sessions, Formerly MD of Deliveroo.

    37:56
    Welcome to the Busi-ness Podcast!In this episode, I’m joined by Dan Warne, CEO and founder of Sessions. Prior to Sessions, Dan was the Managing Director at Deliveroo, an app you’ve probably heard of. He was part of the business during a time of exponential growth, ultimately leading to IPO, which was met with mixed reviews. We talked a lot about growing and scaling businesses, and what happens when you realise that the dream job you’re so invested in, isn’t going to work for you in the long-term.He’s now running an amazing company, Sessions, which aims to lower the barriers to entry and is streamline the processes for restaurants and more importantly, the hospitality industry. Sessions is democratising the restaurant industry, which has taken such a battering in the last few years.Dan has a wealth of knowledge and insights into the industry. I hope you enjoy this episode.
  • 39. Namrata Nayyar-Kamdar, Founder of Plenaire.

    41:03
    Welcome to the Busi-ness Podcast!I’m thrilled this week to bring you a really interesting, honest podcast with my friend Namrata, the founder of cult skincare brand, Plenaire.You’ve probably seen Plenaire all over your Instagram feeds and popping up in a variety of amazing retailers across the UK. Whilst it’s an incredibly exciting time for businesses like Plenaire, it is absolutely not without its challenges.Namrata and I had an incredibly candid chat about where she is this week and in her business cycle. With an amazing career behind her and an amazing career ahead, we discussed some of the challenges she faces day-to-day; mentally, physically, emotionally. We also had a really accurate and honest look at the market and its performance. We looked at what it means to run a startup in these uncertain times. It’s such an important episode for anyone who’s starting to run a business and I really hope you can connect a little and realise that you’re absolutely not alone!