Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast

frances odera matthews
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Business
  • Updated Biweekly

Best business & lifestyle podcast for & by London’s Business Babes. We’re ungatekeeping your next move & life in the city. In each episode, London’s Business Babes share unfiltered chats about everything from their inspiring careers and tech stacks to their favourite coworking spots and cafés in London. We celebrate diverse perspectives without gatekeeping: ✨ Real conversations with London female founders - wins, struggles & move-the-needle networking strategies ✨ Anti-burnout advice to elevate your work-life balance with vetted productivity tips & tech tools ✨ Curated guide to London's best places to eat, work & network Whether you're a woman navigating startup/business culture in London or seeking career inspiration, join us! coffeeandoysters.substack.com

  1. How to Grow a Sea Moss Brand With No Paid Ads | Moss & Glow | Oyinka Yusuff & Jessica Richards

    Jun 22

    How to Grow a Sea Moss Brand With No Paid Ads | Moss & Glow | Oyinka Yusuff & Jessica Richards

    Can sea moss really clear your skin? How do you turn a home remedy into a real wellness brand? London founders Oyinka Yusuff and Jessica Richards, the duo behind Moss & Glow sea moss gel, join Coffee & Oysters with business tips on building a health and wellness brand from scratch, growing through word of mouth, and scaling a side hustle as a two-woman team. Oyinka and Jessica break down how a casual sea moss recommendation at a hair show became a business, after it cleared the scalp psoriasis Oyinka had battled since she was 18. They get honest about scaling from Jessica's kitchen to Etsy to their own website, splitting roles between the visible founder and the behind-the-scenes one, filtering out unsolicited advice, and why giving yourself grace (and actual rest) is a genuine business strategy. Plus they share their founder survival guide including go-to hype songs, aloe vera and sea moss face masks, tech stack essentials and their favourite place to get dumplings and cowork in London. --- Steal Oyinka & Jessica’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide. Moss & Glow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/mossandglow --- 00:00 Intro 04:06 The Sea Moss Recommendation That Started It All 12:40 From Kitchen to Etsy to Their Own Website 16:30 Giving Yourself Grace, Rest & Splitting Co-founder Roles 21:48 Why Word of Mouth Beats Paid Ads (& TikTok Shop Next) 26:04 The Future of Sea Moss 34:01 Style, Stripped-Back Beauty & Free Founder Tools 45:25 London Spots, Coworking & Dream Collabs --- 💬 Become a guest 📓 2026 Journal Template 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack 🎓 The Big Notion Energy Academy 📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CoffeeandOysters 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandoysterspod 📱TikTok: @coffeeandoysterspod Get full access to Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast at coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe

    59 min
  2. She left BlackRock to build an AI startup in London | Sofia Hamilton | Souk

    Jun 8

    She left BlackRock to build an AI startup in London | Sofia Hamilton | Souk

    Why would you leave BlackRock as an investor to become a startup founder? What does it actually take to find co-founders at an accelerator? And which AI tools should every early-stage founder have permanently open on their desktop? London founder Sofia Hamilton, COO and co-founder of Souk — the world's first AI partner development manager — joins Coffee & Oysters with business tips on leaving a prestigious finance career to build, fundraising as a female founder, and turning B2B partnerships into a real growth channel. Sofia breaks down how she went from marketing to BlackRock active equities to building a VC-backed AI startup through the Antler accelerator. She shares advice on when to hire (spend the money sooner than you think), what investors actually care about at early stage, why product-led growth is her current obsession, and how being an ex-investor changes the way you pitch Plus explore why Uniqlo is her secret weapon for emergency meeting outfits, why Claude and Lovable have become non-negotiable in her tech stack, and her favourite Somali restaurant in Finsbury Park. Additionally, learn about Dealer's Daughters - the niche London poker nights for women in finance and startups. --- Steal Sofia’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide. Sofia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-hamilton-sambrano/ Souk Website: www.joinsouk.com --- 00:00 Intro 03:03 What Souk Is & The B2B Partnerships 04:19 Leaving BlackRock & the Antler Story) 11:37 Hiring, Spending Money & VC-Backed Pace 13:43 Investor vs Founder - What Changes When You Switch Sides 22:25 Finding Customers Through Referrals & Partnerships 29:29 Top Tip for New Founders 43:25 Claude, Lovable & The Founder Tech Stack 55:31 London Gems: Best Somali Food & Hotel Lobbies for Coworking --- 💬 Become a guest 📓 2026 Journal Template 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack 🎓 The Big Notion Energy Academy 📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CoffeeandOysters 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandoysterspod 📱TikTok: @coffeeandoysterspod Get full access to Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast at coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 4m
  3. Surviving Corporate London as a Gen Z Woman | Wesleigh-Jane | Sisters Protect

    May 25

    Surviving Corporate London as a Gen Z Woman | Wesleigh-Jane | Sisters Protect

    How do you survive corporate as a Gen Z woman? How do you build a community while working a 9-to-5? And what are the best workwear brands for tall girls in London? London founder Wesleigh-Jane, the woman behind Sisters Protect, joins Coffee & Oysters with business tips on building a community for early-careers women in corporate, navigating office politics, and balancing a finance career with a thriving side hustle. Wesleigh-Jane breaks down how she turned her own workplace hurdles into a community-led business spanning strategy circles, a Corporate Survival Journal, and one-to-one consultancy. She shares advice on advocating for yourself in performance reviews, why intergenerational mentorship matters, and how she runs it all solo on evenings and weekends. Plus her go-to Soca gym anthems, beauty essentials from Fenty to Cécred, free tools like Google Sites and Canva, her favourite Notting Hill spots, best London hotels for coworking and London communities. --- Steal Wesleigh-Jane’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide. Wesleigh-Jane on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/wesleigh-jane-p-757306185 --- 00:00 Intro 04:06 The Role of Sisters Protect 10:05 Why Corporate Wasn't Built For All of Us 21:06 Three Revenue Streams That Work 29:29 Advice For Starting Your Own Community 34:58 Outfits, Performance Reviews & Boundaries 43:25 Free Tools Every Solo Founder Needs 55:15 London Communities & Dream Collabs --- 💬 Become a guest 📓 2026 Journal Template 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack 🎓 The Big Notion Energy Academy 📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CoffeeandOysters 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandoysterspod 📱TikTok: @coffeeandoysterspod Get full access to Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast at coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 5m
  4. Predicting 2026 food & drink trends with Coachella | Grace Bryan | London CPG Expert

    May 11

    Predicting 2026 food & drink trends with Coachella | Grace Bryan | London CPG Expert

    London food & drink development expert Grace Bryan, co-founder of CPG agency Juicy Brick, joins Coffee & Oysters with business tips on trend forecasting, founder lifestyle, and building innovative food & drink brands. Grace breaks down how she spots trends by tracking repeated signals across CPG, pop culture, fashion, and TikTok, and discusses Gen Z’s changing relationship with alcohol. She compares UK vs US CPG scale and consumer behaviour, offers advice for UK brands entering the US, highlights “pinch me” moments like McDonald’s reaching out, and shares London favourites plus personal boundaries and tools like Dropbox, Canva, and LinkedIn. --- Steal Grace’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide. Grace on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/grace-bryan-juicy-brick --- 00:00 Intro 06:53 Why Hospitality Builds Grit 11:01 LinkedIn Trend Spotting Ritual 15:45 Pop Culture to Product Ideas 19:26 Coachella Style Forecasting 29:01 UK vs US CPG Reality Check 37:10 Owning Your Wins 38:13 Influencers Building Brands 40:49 Boundaries and Work Life 44:38 Personal Style Uniform 45:54 Beauty and Tech Essentials 53:40 London Gems Quick Fire 01:00:15 Wins, Plugs & Dream Collabs --- 💬 Become a guest 📓 2026 Journal Template 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack 🎓 The Big Notion Energy Academy 📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CoffeeandOysters 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandoysterspod 📱TikTok: @coffeeandoysterspod Get full access to Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast at coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 6m
  5. Anti-hustle LinkedIn vs Instagram strategies that sell | Meg Hutson – Human Marketing Expert

    Apr 27

    Anti-hustle LinkedIn vs Instagram strategies that sell | Meg Hutson – Human Marketing Expert

    Meet Meg Hutson, a Human Marketing Strategist for service-based businesses, as she breaks down LinkedIn marketing strategy, personal branding and how to build a business you actually love. Meg Hutson left school at 16, started a shop with her mum, and built a freelance marketing business the hard way. She breaks down why being too vague cost her early opportunities, how she now helps bold service business owners ditch messy marketing through her framework of purpose, audience, offers, messaging and content, and why making marketing human matters more than ever. We also dig into how to grow on LinkedIn vs Instagram (including selling via Stories and trial reels), relationship-based funnels through her free monthly session The Monthly, launching her group program Spotlight, and the business tips and success habits that keep her grounded — from daily walks to a lean tech stack of MailerLite, Asana, Motion and Voxer. Plus she explores her London favourites, such as Covent Garden and Pizza Pilgrims, Oliver Bonas style picks, and her favourite glowy beauty basics as a minimal-makeup girlie. --- Steal Meg’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide. Meg on LinkedIn: Meg Hutson --- 00:00 Intro 05:09 Marketing vs Sales Explained 09:12 Investing in Coaching 12:47 Human Marketing in AI Era 15:01 LinkedIn as Lead Engine 18:22 Instagram Stories Funnel 32:01 Lurkers Are Best Buyers 33:10 Make Weird Content Work 37:16 Grounding Daily Rituals 38:32 Personal Style Uniform 41:13 Beauty Product Staples 44:26 Lean Tech Stack 49:18 Life Outside London 51:26 London Spots And Networking 55:30 Wins, Plugs And Dreams 58:40 Where To Find Meg --- 💬 Become a guest 📓 2026 Journal Template 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack 🎓 The Big Notion Energy Academy 📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CoffeeandOysters 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandoysterspod 📱TikTok: @coffeeandoysterspod Get full access to Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast at coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe

    1 hr
  6. This London LinkedIn influencer shares personal brand habits of the top 1% creators | Kamya Marwah

    Apr 13

    This London LinkedIn influencer shares personal brand habits of the top 1% creators | Kamya Marwah

    Kamya Marwah is a London-based, top 1% LinkedIn creator, and Marketing & Content Manager at CRM startup Jely. She shares London lifestyle tips, London cafés + food market favourites, plus a super practical LinkedIn personal branding playbook (without the cringe). In this episode, Kamya breaks down how she moved from Delhi to London at 19 for UCL, the reality of being the first (and only) full-time marketing hire at an early-stage startup (twice!), and what it really takes to build a consistent content engine alongside a 9 to 5. We also get into networking (including the resilience behind 800+ rejections), how to pitch in a way that actually builds relationships, what trends are shifting on LinkedIn right now (carousels vs video), and the creator tools she uses to stay organised. You do not want to miss this if you’re trying to grow your personal brand on LinkedIn or figure out how to stay consistent with content while working. --- Steal Kamya’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide. Kamya on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/kamya-marwah Kamya’s Substack (“Get Things Moving”): https://getthingsmoving.substack.com/ --- 00:00 Introduction 02:29 From art to marketing + the first six months of zero orders 09:02 Systems, discipline + building creator workflows 11:04 Networking, resilience + rejection 13:56 Pitching, relationship-building + community 15:46 LinkedIn creator playbook 22:16 Content trends + the AI backlash 24:23 LinkedIn cringe takes 32:01 Creator tech stack 35:51 Moving to London + favourite cafés/markets 39:28 Final thoughts --- 💬 Become a guest 📓 2026 Journal Template 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack 🎓 The Big Notion Energy Academy 📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CoffeeandOysters 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandoysterspod 📱TikTok: @coffeeandoysterspod Get full access to Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast at coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe

    43 min
  7. Quality over growth? Why luxury beauty founder Anju Rupal said no to LVMH investment | Interview

    Mar 30

    Quality over growth? Why luxury beauty founder Anju Rupal said no to LVMH investment | Interview

    London/Swiss female founder & luxury beauty entrepreneur Anju Rupal shares lifestyle tips, best London restaurant picks & wellness secrets on Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast. The Abhati Suisse founder blends Indian heritage rituals with Swiss biotech for performance-driven scalp and hair health, charting her path from social work to building a brand. We also hear about turning down LVMH, crowdfunding her first product, and sourcing high-altitude botanicals from the Himalayas and Swiss Alps. Topics covered: slow-growth brand building, hospitality partnerships, favourite London spots (Liberty, Dishoom), fashion trends & style inspiration, European tech alternatives, entrepreneurship tips, health and wellness routines, and community support through the Entrepreneur Organization (EO).--- Steal Anju’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide. Explore Abhati Suisse with 20% off with code “FRANCES20”: https://abhatisuisse.com/shop Anju on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjurupal/ --- 00:00 Introduction 01:58 Swiss Alps and Bad Bunny 05:47 Social Work to Luxury Beauty 11:26 Origin Story and Ingredients 22:18 Lifestyle Brand and Hospitality 26:32 Retail Dreams and Future Trends 31:18 Slow Growth Values 32:37 Packaging Storytelling 34:47 Lifestyle Music Boost 37:58 Quiet Luxury Style 39:31 Hair Loss To Haircare 48:59 London Arts And Food 51:42 Conclusion --- 💬 Become a guest 📓 2026 Journal Template 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack 🎓 The Big Notion Energy Academy 📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CoffeeandOysters 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandoysterspod 📱TikTok: @coffeeandoysterspod Get full access to Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast at coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe

    58 min
  8. How this London Interior Designer Transforms Homes & Unlocks Your Potential | Dami Lawal

    Mar 16

    How this London Interior Designer Transforms Homes & Unlocks Your Potential | Dami Lawal

    Meet Dami Lawal, award-winning interior designer and founder of NateBel Interiors, who shares her pivot from 16+ years in IT project management (agile/scrum) into interior design after discovering a design app, training at KLC, and being pushed full-time into her business during 2020 lockdowns. She explains how her project management structure builds client trust, why she expanded into transformation mentoring (including her book “Design Your Interiors”), and how she helps people overcome fear and pursue purpose. Dami breaks down how interior designers charge fees separate from furniture budgets, her “ridiculous price” tactic to uncover client budgets, and the realities of sales/marketing as a business owner. She discusses designing timeless spaces over trends, standout projects (Airbnb and an “Instagrammable” home), mentoring students at University of Westminster, and shares lifestyle picks like time-blocking, bargain-shopping, skincare/makeup favourites, and London recommendations. --- Steal Dami’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide. Dami on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damilawal/ --- 00:00 Introduction 02:53 From IT to Interiors 08:39 Life Transformation Work 15:53 Visibility and Sales 21:30 Pricing and Getting Paid 31:52 Timeless Design Trends 33:56 Mentoring Next Gen 41:05 Personal Style On A Budget 46:08 Skincare And Makeup Staples 48:58 Tech Tools For Productivity 56:52 Communities And Networking 01:04:37 Conclusion --- 💬 Become a guest 📓 2026 Journal Template 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack 🎓 The Big Notion Energy Academy 📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CoffeeandOysters 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandoysterspod 📱TikTok: @coffeeandoysterspod Get full access to Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast at coffeeandoysters.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 5m
See All (41)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Best business & lifestyle podcast for & by London’s Business Babes. We’re ungatekeeping your next move & life in the city. In each episode, London’s Business Babes share unfiltered chats about everything from their inspiring careers and tech stacks to their favourite coworking spots and cafés in London. We celebrate diverse perspectives without gatekeeping: ✨ Real conversations with London female founders - wins, struggles & move-the-needle networking strategies ✨ Anti-burnout advice to elevate your work-life balance with vetted productivity tips & tech tools ✨ Curated guide to London's best places to eat, work & network Whether you're a woman navigating startup/business culture in London or seeking career inspiration, join us! coffeeandoysters.substack.com

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