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Vinterior || Leadership
A conversation about leaderhsip with Sandrine Zhang Ferron, founder of Vinterior. In this episode, a topic that creeps in to most of the work that I do with founders. It is leadership. Are you a leader? What ‘qualifies’ you to be one? What arena, idea, business or group of people are you leading? What is your leadership style? Is it working? And why does it matter? In the social media age, spend a great deal of time discussing ‘following’ and ‘followers’. But I wonder if we spend enough time considering ‘leading’ and ‘leaders’.It brings me real joy to say that in this episode, we are going to adventure through this very concept with someone more than qualified to do so. Sandrine Zhang Ferron is the founder of Vinterior. This vintage furniture site is an excellent ‘what if we could…’ put into practice and I can’t imagine you haven’t browed its pages at some point. It is sustainability as a doing word, a verb rather than a concept or aspiration or guilty niggle. It has purpose and style woven in and Sandrine has big ambitions for its future. We are going to consider what Sandrine learnt from her years working in finance, how she got the idea off the ground, what it means to be a leader in your industry, a leader as a founder and a leader of a team. Vinterior: www.vinterior.coUp With The Lark: www.upwiththelark.com
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Sowvtital || Brand Consistency
A conversation about brand, branding, brand expression and the role of discipline in executing this well. Brands are everywhere. Never was there a time when so many of our interactions, both creative and commercial, were interlaced with brands and their branding. The history of intellectual property law, the TV series Mad Men, the Royal Warrant, what we purchased in the last 30 days all point towards the importance, relevance, culture and complexities of brands.To explore this is Jack Lewis, founder of Sowvital. Their mission is to inspire, kindle and nurture a love of plants and gardening to all who want to embrace greenery in their lives. Jack has tackled his branding with lazer focus, a strong budget and vision, confidence and consistency. It is a good example of the power of discipline when it comes to branding.So, we are going to debate how creativity and discipline can act together to enable your branding it to reach its fullest potential, what to consider as your business grows, what to do when the needs of branding conflicts with the pragmatic needs of the business and how to keep a sense of the human and play alive.So welcome to Up With The Lark And Sowvital. I think that we will all find ourselves scanning over our colour palates and typography and wondering, am I using this to its best advantage by the end of this one.Sowvital: www.sowvital.comUp With The Lark: www.upwiththelark.com
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Beggars Run || The USA
A conversation with Beggars Run, purveyors of suits and interesting ideas, about their story and their move over to New York. What can we learn from the American Dream?Welcome to Up With The Lark And, a podcast for creative entrepreneurs hosted by me, Calandre Orton. I am a business consultant working in the creative industries and my career has always existed at the intersection of the creative and the commercial. This podcast captures conversations built on curiosity, optimism and the nitty gritty detail of what it actually takes as a creator and entrepreneur. A few years ago I had a conversation with Taymoor Atigetchi, founder of Papier, about the impact of his Iranian roots on the way that he does business. The thought stayed with me and stayed with me to the point of preoccupation. And so now here is the fourth in the series of interviews with entrepreneurs working in and influenced by a variety of countries and cultures. In this episode, the United States of America. The UK and the US share a long and complex relationship filled with significant trade, cultural exchange and "Love Actually" style cliches. What can we all learn from the promised American Dream?I am delighted to say that we are joined by Cian McAuliffe, co-founder of Beggars Run. Raised in the Irish wild west (his words, not mine), clothes were the source of self expression and adventure and he was propelled around the world before landing in the Big Smoke. He observed that it was not possible to buy a well made suit in an interesting fabric that did not cost the earth. So he decided to make some and did so above an East End boozer. The suits cut a fine figure and so did their growing client base. A creative, non-conformist, confident crowd gathered. And that crowd wore suits of the highest order. They hot footed over to the US and Beggars Run opened in New York in 2023. We find out about the cloth, the craft, the cut and the life of a tailor. We hear about Shoreditch in London and Nolita in New York. We compare and contrast the style, the customer and the ways of doing business. So welcome to Up With The Lark And Beggars Run. Beggars Run: www.beggarsrun.com/ukUp With The Lark: www.upwiththelark.com
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The Line || Legacy
A discussion about leadership and legacy, knowing when it is time to move on and how to hand over the reigns with Megan Piper and Sarah Carrington of The Line. Welcome to Up With The Lark, a podcast for creative entrepreneurs, hosted by me, Calandre Orton. I am a business consultant working in the arts and creative industries. My work has always existed where the creative meets the commercial and this podcast does the same. It offers a series of conversations about what it actually takes, the curiosity, the optimism and the nitty gritty. The art of leadership and legacy captivates me. In a world where good leadership can feel in short supply, how can we lead effectively, with humanity, energy, and flair? Today, we’re going to explore a particularly intriguing element of leadership: when one leader, director, or CEO hands over to the next, both practically and philosophically.To explore this, we are very fortunate indeed to meet co-founder of The Line, Megan Piper, and her planned successor, Director Designate, Sarah Carrington. The Line is East London's art walk that connects Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and The O2. It is an outdoor exhibition programme offering a journey through a dynamic urban landscape, where everyone can explore art, nature, and heritage for free. It offers discovery and adventure, as well as quiet contemplation.The Line is a perfect example of a conversation turned into an idea, then into reality. It is a vision brought to life, a set of values explored, and an impact realised. Truly, quite an achievement and quite something to take on.We’re going to walk our way through the practical and cultural elements of passing on the baton. A handover is so much more than a desk, a login, and an edit to your LinkedIn profile. While practical considerations are essential, such as communicating with stakeholders, managing the team, and nurturing the community, there is a great deal more to consider to ensure the culture continues to flourish and a new chapter can unfold.We’re going to hear how The Line began, the role of Director, Megan’s decision to hand over the reins, and how Sarah will grasp them.So welcome to Up With The Lark and The Line, a conversation on leadership and legacy. One that will inevitably make us consider our own leadership styles and how we can use them to bring our creative visions to life. Introspection and action await.So, welcome Megan and Sarah. It’s such a delight to have them both join us to share both sides of this story: the initial chapter and the new chapter.The Line: www.the-line.orgUp With The Lark: www.upwiththelark.com
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Pelican House X Shrimps || Collaboration
An insight into collaboration with Pelican House X Shrimps. Why collaborate? How can we make it an enjoyable and effective process? How do we know whether it has 'worked' or not?Welcome to Up With The Lark And, a podcast for creative entrepreneurs hosted by me, Calandre Orton.In a world where technology shouts and AI feels mystifying, hopeful and threatening all at once, I find myself drawn ever more to understanding the human mind. In particular, how and why the human mind creates. Today we are lucky to explore a particular facet of that ability and desire to create which is the alchemy of creatives working together. It may feel that we live in the era of collaboration but we know that the creative partnership has always been an important part of the creative landscape. Today we are going to explore the various elements of collaborations. Who had the idea first? How do you approach someone? How can you know that it will be a good fit? How can you go about blending two creative disciplines? How do you develop great communication? How do you handle the nitty gritty of cash, contracts, risk and responsibilities? And, crucially, how do you measure success? Joining us are Hannah Weiland, founder of Shrimps, Isabella Valenzia, founder of Pelican House, and India Holmes, creative director of Pelican House. Pelican House is a design studio that exists to create unique rugs and homewear collections with a focus on craft, quality and makers. They are no strangers to collaborations having worked with Lucy Williams, Camilla Guinness and Barlow and Barlow. Shrimps is a British womenswear brand that has just the right wit, edge and warmth to earn it quite the cult following. They too are experienced collaborators having worked with a range of brands including Strathberry, Binibamba and Daisy. It is safe to say that these ladies know what they are talking about. Welcome to Up With The Lark And Pelican House and Shrimps. Pelican House: www.pelican-house.comShrimps: www.shrimps.comUp With The Lark: www.upwiththelark.com
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