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.

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.

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.

What we cover:

• Finding a tech co-founder as a non-technical founder
• Navigating the fashion space outside of fast fashion
• Finding a niche in a typically crowded space
• The timings and strategy of raising investment
• The stats around investment for Black Women
• Hiring and growing a team for your business, not following the status quo
• How to build a B2B strategy without losing focus
• How to SOJO x Selfridges Partnership happened
• The honest truth about representation in VC

If you're building something new or struggling to articulate why your idea matters, this one's for you.

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Josephine, Sojo Founder

03:17 The Tailoring Niche

07:48 The Problem with Fast Fashion

13:52 Validating The Business Idea

16:59 Finding A Tech Co-Founder

22:24 Launch Traction And Press

23:40 Funding And Getting Investment

29:48 Hiring Growing Pains

33:01 Corporate vs Startup Hiring

34:19 The Right Time For Funding

35:24 More Team Slower Progress

37:09 Focussing On Your B2B Strategy

38:11 Where Is Sojo Today?

39:16 Hiring for Complementary Skills

41:36 Testing Agility in Interviews

43:43 Representation in VC Funding

47:53 6-Week Fundraising Sprint

50:57 Selfridges Partnership Breakdown

54:49 Global Expansion Plans

01:00:33 Build With the End in Mind

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.

FOLLOW SOJO

SOJO Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sojo.uk/

Josephine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josephine__philips/

FOLLOW US

Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Ladies Who Launch, we sit down with Georgie Coleridge Cole, Founder & CEO of SheerLuxe, the e-commerce and lifestyle powerhouse that redefined how women discover fashion, beauty, and culture online.

Georgie opens up about the formative experiences that shaped her entrepreneurial mindset, how she stumbled into the world of e-commerce before it was cool, and the raw reality of building an incredible team from scratch while the industry was still figuring out what digital media even meant.

What we cover:

• The honest story of building SheerLuxe and becoming an entrepreneur
• Discovering and navigating the world of e-commerce
• Business investment and financing. Why access to capital looks very different for women in business
• How to structure a strong team early and build a culture that scales
• Juggling life, business, and motherhood. The real, unfiltered version

If you're a female founder navigating the chaos of building something bold, this one's for you.

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introducing Georgie and SheerLuxe

01:14 The SheerLuxe Mission and Platform Evolution

09:16 Navigating Career Detours

14:55 The Start of Building SheerLuxe

21:56 Raising VC and Keeping Equity

28:23 The Hardest Part of Leadership

31:30 The SheerLuxe Team as the Brand

41:52 Staying Relevant Through Change

45:56 Editorial First, Monetise Later

46:47 The £40M Sell

53:09 Equity And Industry Stigma

55:17 The Work and Motherhood Reality

01:03:41 Life After the Acquisition

01:07:19 Rocket Round

01:15:22 Best Piece of Advice

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.

FOLLOW GEORGIE

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gcoleridgecole/

SheerLuxe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheerluxe/

SheerLuxe TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sheerluxe

FOLLOW US

Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Ladies Who Launch, Rochelle sits down with Bernicia Boateng, makeup artists to the stars to go behind the scenes of her incredible journey, from the makeup chair to founding Enoléh, the hair brand redefining what it means for Black women to feel seen, celebrated, and authentic in the beauty space.

In this episode, we cover:

• The mission behind Bernicia's work and why authentic representation in skincare and makeup matters more now than ever before
• What self-belief actually looks like in practice
• The beauty and power of women wearing wigs and hair extensions, and why it's so much more than aesthetics
• The behind-the-scenes of building Enoléh, the team, the challenges, and the dream

Whether you're a founder, a dreamer, or someone who's been holding back, this one is for you.

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Bernicia

02:05 From makeup to wider mission

06:22 Gaining confidence

11:25 Building repeat customers and loyalty

13:56 Why wigs matter

20:45 Building a fashion forward brand

25:42 Launching with a business partner

31:51 The ‘Just Do It’ mission

40:13 Smart category strategy

41:22 Quality over ego

43:30 Bernicia’s 2 year vision

45:58 Dream retail partners

47:23 Business non-negotiables

49:30 Quickfire habits & lessons

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.

FOLLOW BERNICIA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berniciaboateng/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realberniciaboateng

Enoléh: https://www.instagram.com/enoleh/

FOLLOW US

Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Ladies Who Launch, I’m pulling back the curtain on building my new skincare brand. This week, we dive deeper into product development; from formulation and testing to MOQs and what it really takes to get products onto retail shelves.

I’m sharing the real journey with you: what I’m learning as I go, how I’m building the brand from the ground up, and the challenges that are keeping me up at night.

Plus, I’m giving you a behind-the-scenes look at our next Ladies Who Launch live event. After how incredible and inspiring our last one was, I cannot wait to share another amazing lineup with you.

In this episode, I cover:

Where the products are right now. Development, testing, and what the process has been along the way

The decisions around formulation that no one prepares you for

How I’m thinking about quantities and what that means for the brand at this stage

Selling into retailers and what it actually takes to get a brand onto shelves

The next Ladies Who Launch line up

Whether you're launching your first product or scaling an existing beauty business, this conversation is here to share and support.

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.

FOLLOW US

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Ladies Who Launch, Rochelle sits down with Aila Morin, CMO of MERIT Beauty, the clean, minimalist brand that's redefining what "effortless" really means in beauty. This episode isn't just a brand story, it’s an original narrative of how to stay true to yourself while building a business with purpose and impact.

Aila opens up about the why behind MERIT, the purpose that shaped every product decision, every campaign, and every community touchpoint from day one.

What we cover:

• How MERIT built a narrative that resonates far beyond the product
• How new product development becomes a brand-building tool, not just a revenue play
• What real brand loyalty looks like and how to cultivate it without gimmicks
• How Aila stays focused in one of the most competitive industries
• The messy, real, unglamorous side of scaling a team and a brand

Whether you're a founder in the thick of it or a marketer obsessed with building a brand, this episode will challenge the way you think about building something with real meaning & clarity.

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

04:57 Designing Brand DNA

07:53 The Five Minute Morning

12:49 The No-Hero Product Strategy

18:26 Building Hype Around Brand & Product

24:26 Scaling Profitably To $200M

29:41 Multichannel Brand Building

32:25 Creative A North Star

38:31 Anti Advice And Comparison

41:53 Work Identity Boundaries

45:18 Mentors And Leadership Energy

47:00 One Tip For Founders

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.

FOLLOW AILA

Instagram: ​​https://www.instagram.com/ailamorin/

MERIT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/merit/

MERIT TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@merit

FOLLOW US

Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Ladies Who Launch, Rochelle sits down with Katherine Barlow, founder of Ru & Rocka, for an honest, unfiltered conversation about what it really takes to build a fashion brand from scratch.

From the spark of an idea to building a team and letting others into her business, Katherine shares the real founder story behind one of the most original brands in the space today.

We cover:

• How Ru & Rocka started and the moment it became real
• Being responsible with money and navigating small business finances
• How to build a brand that's truly original in a crowded market
• Building the Ru & Rocka team and knowing when to hire
• Building a true brand identity & DNA
• Launching in Selfridges
• 
  

Whether you're in the early stages of building your brand or scaling your team, this one is packed with lessons you won't want to miss.

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introducing Katherine Barlow

04:56 Instagram Side Hustle

07:16 Finance Lessons Learned

09:47 Building A Brand Solo

12:51 From The Studio to Ru & Rocka

30:11 Scaling Without Fear

32:37 Brand DNA Matters

33:41 When Big Brands Copy

38:32 Building Thick Skin In Business

40:52 Launching In Selfridges

46:57 Scrappy Startup Lessons

48:12 What’s Next For Ru & Rocka

58:09 Final Advice For Business Owners

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.

FOLLOW KATHERINE

Instagram: ​​https://www.instagram.com/kb.barlow/

Ru & Rocka: https://www.instagram.com/ruandrocka/

FOLLOW US

Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this exclusive solo episode of Ladies Who Launch, Rochelle shares something she's been quietly building behind the scenes, the launch of her very own skincare brand.

This isn't a brand born from trend-chasing. It's rooted in a deeply personal vision for what Rochelle believes has been missing from the market all along: quality skincare at a price point that feels accessible.

Rochelle opens up about her ambitions for the brand, her plan to build it at scale, and more importantly why she's decided to bring you along for the entire ride.

We don't know exactly where this journey ends. But we're starting it right here, right now. Together.

We Are Ladies Who Launch.

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.

FOLLOW US

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Managing business finances doesn't have to be overwhelming, it can actually be your most powerful tool for growth, if you invest in it from the start. In this episode of Ladies Who Launch, we sit down with Nicole Zalys also known as The London Accountant to demystify the day-to-day of running your business accounts and take the panic out of tax season.

We are stripping away the heavy financial jargon to give you a foundational, empowering masterclass in money management. Whether you are a solo founder or scaling a growing team within a limited company, we break down the exact financial moves you need to make to protect your profit and scale with confidence.

In this episode, we cover:

• The perks of registering as a limited company
• Expense pro’s and con’s
• Effective tax management
• How to save for tax
• How to price yourself effectively

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

04:53 Director Perks and Trivial Benefits of a Limited Company

10:02 Childcare Costs and Tax Free Scheme

15:00 Travel Overseas and Client Entertainment

18:01 Clothing Expenses and Case Law

22:45 Business Entertainment And Promotions

24:24 Wealth Building Basics

27:44 Common Tax Mistakes

30:50 Pricing Your Time

34:25 Travel And Company Cars

36:18 Final Limited Company Tips

If you want to build a sustainable, profitable business and take control of your financial narrative, this episode is for you.

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.

FOLLOW NICOLE

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelondonaccountant_/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thelondonaccountant

FOLLOW US

Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunch

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.