Startup Breakdown

Caroline Sumners, Milly Barker
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Weekly

Scaling a business can feel like a rollercoaster - and Startup Breakdown is here to ride it with you. Hosted by Caroline, a marketing strategist and Milly, a strategy and operations expert, this podcast combines real-world business advice with the hilarious and messy reality of running a startup. With decades of practical experience, more than a few war wounds, and hundreds of millions of pounds raised between them, Milly and Caroline bring you the insights you need to grow your business - without losing your mind. Expect practical tips, candid stories, and plenty of laughs.

  1. Oct 30

    Startup Breakdown Episode 87: Dull Is Good

    In this episode of Startup Breakdown, we share a big update: after nearly two years and 87 episodes, we are taking a well-deserved pause for the rest of the year! So as to not disappoint we go out in style with more dog and TV chat. And with Milly's new AI "Chief of Staff" highlighting the true time investment behind producing the show, we dive into evaluating strategic purpose in business, avoiding burnout, and stepping back to plan a stronger comeback in the New Year. Who are your hosts? Milly: I'm a serial COO with an MBA from Imperial College London. I'm the ultimate cheerleader for early-stage companies and I've got the knowledge you need to take your brilliant ideas from the drawing board to the board room. I help companies across all industries build simple strategic frameworks to help them grow by focussing on the most important tasks without breaking the bank. If you’re looking for help to fight the overwhelm, communicate with your team, or raise money for your business give me a shout and we can have a free, no-strings Discovery Call over at payasyougocoo.com. Caroline: I’m a marketing strategist and coach with a passion for making marketing simple, effective, and actually fun. I help entrepreneurs and small business owners cut through the noise, get crystal clear on their messaging, and create smarter strategies that actually move the needle. If you’re ready to build a marketing plan that feels good and gets results, you can work with me 1:1 through coaching or join the Smarter Marketing Club, my community packed with training, support, and real-world marketing know-how. Head over to carolinesumners.com to find out more. This podcast is expertly edited by James Ede. You can check out his services at beheardproductions. If you’re scaling your business or just surviving your latest breakdown, we’d love to hear from you, send us a message at startup.breakdown.podcast@gmail.com.

  2. Oct 22

    Startup Breakdown Episode 86: Dull Is Good

    In this episode of Startup Breakdown, we catch up on Caroline's Zoe gut-health reset, bathroom renovations and Percy's shampoo-stealing antics, puppy Betty's morning sock heist, and the hilarious drama of the strict dog trainer getting fired. It is basically a puppy podcast at this point! In the business segment, we tackle a listener query on whether email marketing is still worth it, exploring why bad emails fail, how to nurture direct subscriber relationships, and why embracing "dull" consistent execution is the true secret to long-term growth. Who are your hosts? Milly: I'm a serial COO with an MBA from Imperial College London. I'm the ultimate cheerleader for early-stage companies and I've got the knowledge you need to take your brilliant ideas from the drawing board to the board room. I help companies across all industries build simple strategic frameworks to help them grow by focussing on the most important tasks without breaking the bank. If you’re looking for help to fight the overwhelm, communicate with your team, or raise money for your business give me a shout and we can have a free, no-strings Discovery Call over at payasyougocoo.com. Caroline: I’m a marketing strategist and coach with a passion for making marketing simple, effective, and actually fun. I help entrepreneurs and small business owners cut through the noise, get crystal clear on their messaging, and create smarter strategies that actually move the needle. If you’re ready to build a marketing plan that feels good and gets results, you can work with me 1:1 through coaching or join the Smarter Marketing Club, my community packed with training, support, and real-world marketing know-how. Head over to carolinesumners.com to find out more. This podcast is expertly edited by James Ede. You can check out his services at beheardproductions. If you’re scaling your business or just surviving your latest breakdown, we’d love to hear from you, send us a message at startup.breakdown.podcast@gmail.com.

  3. Oct 15

    Startup Breakdown Episode 85: Turns out Siegfried Sassoon isn't a haridresser

    In this episode of Startup Breakdown, we catch up on Caroline's holiday, Milly's accidental flu jab at the local pharmacy, and why puppy Betty is officially banned from the office after an unmentionable incident. In the business questions, we tackle a listener query on how to finish Q4 strong without suffering from a Q1 hangover or starting the new year with empty pipelines and process debt. Who are your hosts? Milly: I'm a serial COO with an MBA from Imperial College London. I'm the ultimate cheerleader for early-stage companies and I've got the knowledge you need to take your brilliant ideas from the drawing board to the board room. I help companies across all industries build simple strategic frameworks to help them grow by focussing on the most important tasks without breaking the bank. If you’re looking for help to fight the overwhelm, communicate with your team, or raise money for your business give me a shout and we can have a free, no-strings Discovery Call over at payasyougocoo.com Caroline: I’m a marketing strategist and coach with a passion for making marketing simple, effective, and actually fun. I help entrepreneurs and small business owners cut through the noise, get crystal clear on their messaging, and create smarter strategies that actually move the needle. If you’re ready to build a marketing plan that feels good and gets results, you can work with me 1:1 through coaching or join the Smarter Marketing Club, my community packed with training, support, and real-world marketing know-how. Head over to carolinsumners.com to find out more This podcast is expertly edited by James Ede. You can check out his services at beheardproductions. If you’re scaling your business or just surviving your latest breakdown, we’d love to hear from you, send us a message at startup.breakdown.podcast@gmail.com.

  4. Oct 8

    Startup Breakdown Episode 84: Just Winging It

    In this episode of Startup Breakdown, we embrace the chaos of "just winging it" as Milly realises she’s worn the exact same gray Uniqlo t-shirt in four consecutive episode recordings (it’s not depression, it’s being Steve Jobs!). We check in on puppy Betty's wild daycare pool party and discuss our fave second hand purchases. In actual business questions, we discuss AI visibility and how small businesses can ethically navigate the shifting world of AI search without burning out. Who are your hosts? Milly: I'm a serial COO with an MBA from Imperial College London. I'm the ultimate cheerleader for early-stage companies and I've got the knowledge you need to take your brilliant ideas from the drawing board to the board room. I help companies across all industries build simple strategic frameworks to help them grow by focussing on the most important tasks without breaking the bank. If you’re looking for help to fight the overwhelm, communicate with your team, or raise money for your business give me a shout and we can have a free, no-strings Discovery Call over at www.payasyougocoo.com. Caroline: I’m a marketing strategist and coach with a passion for making marketing simple, effective, and actually fun. I help entrepreneurs and small business owners cut through the noise, get crystal clear on their messaging, and create smarter strategies that actually move the needle. If you’re ready to build a marketing plan that feels good and gets results, you can work with me 1:1 through coaching or join the Smarter Marketing Club, my community packed with training, support, and real-world marketing know-how. Head over to carolinesumners.com to find out more and book a free Discovery Call. This podcast is expertly edited by James Ede. You can check out his services at beheardproductions https://www.beheard.org.uk/ If you’re scaling your business or just surviving your latest breakdown, we’d love to hear from you, send us a message at startup.breakdown.podcast@gmail.com.

  5. Oct 1

    Startup Breakdown Episode 83: "I'm aimless, what a great marketing strategy."

    In this episode of Startup Breakdown, we celebrate exceeding revenue goals (and why hitting your quantitative targets can actually be exhausting!), Milly's new metallic bronze raincoat that smells suspiciously like a fish shop [256–259], and Caroline's Friday night yoga class at a craft brewery accompanied by a live string quartet [249–251]. We also check in on Percy’s spooky ghost-patterned Halloween jumper [261–262] and the wisdom of reading a book titled End Times Fascism on a holiday flight [269–273].In the business masterclass, we dive into the wild world of Substack: how to structure your publications versus your personal writer profile [275–276], how to move existing newsletter archives over without being "too newslettery" [278–280], and whether cross-posting long-form content on both your website and Substack impacts SEO [282–283]. Plus, we explore authentic founder positioning and writing openly as an entrepreneur with chronic illness [284–290].Who are your hosts? Milly: I'm a serial COO with an MBA from Imperial College London. I'm the ultimate cheerleader for early-stage companies and I've got the knowledge you need to take your brilliant ideas from the drawing board to the board room. I help companies across all industries build simple strategic frameworks to help them grow by focussing on the most important tasks without breaking the bank. If you’re looking for help to fight the overwhelm, communicate with your team, or raise money for your business give me a shout and we can have a free, no-strings Discovery Call over at www.payasyougocoo.com.Caroline: I’m a marketing strategist and coach with a passion for making marketing simple, effective, and actually fun. I help entrepreneurs and small business owners cut through the noise, get crystal clear on their messaging, and create smarter strategies that actually move the needle. If you’re ready to build a marketing plan that feels good and gets results, you can work with me 1:1 through coaching or join the Smarter Marketing Club, my community packed with training, support, and real-world marketing know-how. Head over to carolinesumners.com to find out more and book a free Discovery Call.This podcast is expertly edited by James Ede. You can check out his services at beheardproductions https://www.beheard.org.uk/If you’re scaling your business or just surviving your latest breakdown, we’d love to hear from you, send us a message at startup.breakdown.podcast@gmail.com.

  6. Sep 24

    Startup Breakdown Episode 812: If the climate doesn’t kill us, the robots will

    In this episode of Startup Breakdown, we unpack the chaos of desk lunches, tech glitches, and a wild discovery call where someone tried to ask Milly to "slip them some customers". We also check in on puppy Betty's brand-new haircut and her fearless first day at puppy daycare, Percy's sneaky kitchen counter ciabatta heist, and Caroline's DIY sofa table build. In actual business content, we tackle a listener query on how small businesses can use AI to support and enhance their marketing without replacing the human thinking behind it. Caroline shares practical ways to leverage AI for data analytics, competitor research, and content repurposing, while Milly highlights how AI can help strip emotion from uncomfortable business communications, before we dive into a candid chat on guardrails, ethics, and data centres. Who are your hosts? Milly: I'm a serial COO with an MBA from Imperial College London. I'm the ultimate cheerleader for early-stage companies and I've got the knowledge you need to take your brilliant ideas from the drawing board to the board room. I help companies across all industries build simple strategic frameworks to help them grow by focussing on the most important tasks without breaking the bank. If you’re looking for help to fight the overwhelm, communicate with your team, or raise money for your business give me a shout and we can have a free, no-strings Discovery Call over at www.payasyougocoo.com. Caroline: I’m a marketing strategist and coach with a passion for making marketing simple, effective, and actually fun. I help entrepreneurs and small business owners cut through the noise, get crystal clear on their messaging, and create smarter strategies that actually move the needle. If you’re ready to build a marketing plan that feels good and gets results, you can work with me 1:1 through coaching or join the Smarter Marketing Club, my community packed with training, support, and real-world marketing know-how. Head over to carolinesumners.com to find out more and book a free Discovery Call. This podcast is expertly edited by James Ede. You can check out his services at beheardproductions https://www.beheard.org.uk/ If you’re scaling your business or just surviving your latest breakdown, we’d love to hear from you, send us a message at startup.breakdown.podcast@gmail.com.

  7. Sep 17

    Startup Breakdown Episode 81: The Wreck of the Hseperus

    In this episode of Startup Breakdown, we celebrate Caroline officially handing in her Master's project after two months of intense work. We also talk infrared sunbed benefits, puppy Betty takes her very first Overground train ride in a sling, hopping along like a springy rabbit. In the business masterclass, we tackle a listener query on co-founder misalignment: what happens when one founder wants venture-scale growth while the other wants a profitable lifestyle business? Milly breaks down the fundamental differences between capital-heavy venture scaling and early-profitability lifestyle models, explaining why you cannot do both and providing an objective roadmap to evaluate shared goals before contemplating a clean breakup. Who are your hosts? Milly: I'm a serial COO with an MBA from Imperial College London. I'm the ultimate cheerleader for early-stage companies and I've got the knowledge you need to take your brilliant ideas from the drawing board to the board room. I help companies across all industries build simple strategic frameworks to help them grow by focussing on the most important tasks without breaking the bank. If you’re looking for help to fight the overwhelm, communicate with your team, or raise money for your business give me a shout and we can have a free, no-strings Discovery Call over at www.payasyougocoo.com.  Caroline: I’m  a marketing strategist and coach with a passion for making marketing simple, effective, and actually fun. I help entrepreneurs and small business owners cut through the noise, get crystal clear on their messaging, and create smarter strategies that actually move the needle. If you’re ready to build a marketing plan that feels good and gets results, you can work with me 1:1 through coaching or join the Smarter Marketing Club,  my community packed with training, support, and real-world marketing know-how. Head over to carolinesumners.com to find out more and book a free Discovery Call. This podcast is expertly edited by James Ede. You can check out his services at beheardproductions https://www.beheard.org.uk/ If you’re scaling your business or just surviving your latest breakdown, we’d love to hear from you, send us a message at startup.breakdown.podcast@gmail.com.

  8. Sep 10

    Startup Breakdown Episode 80: The Burnout Wall, Exploding Dog Toys, and Paid Media Mastery

    In this epsiode of Startup breakdown Milly and Caroline return with an open, honest discussion about hitting the dreaded burnout wall and finding creative ways to reclaim personal downtime (including vacuuming out kitchen cabinets as a circuit breaker!). Caroline shares a heartwarming rescue story outside a local Robert Dyas, and Millie laments the tragic (and explosive) demise of her living room rug due to a frozen yogurt puppy experiment gone wrong. In the business segment, they tackle paid media, delivering a masterclass on the essential steps every business must take before launching an advertising campaign. Whether you're B2B or B2C, find out how to audit your organic customer journey and lay the back-end tracking foundation before spending a single penny on ads. What We Cover in This Episode: Hitting the Burnout Wall: Milly and Caroline open up about the physical and mental toll of demanding client projects, the erosion of free time, and the desperate need to sit on the sofa in pyjamas.The Robert Dyas Rescue: Caroline's morning run for Soda Stream refills leads to a real-world act of kindness .Betty's Yogurt Catastrophe: RIP to Millie's 100% wool cream Berber rug after a frozen blueberry and Greek yogurt experiment goes terribly wrong.Capsule Wardrobes & Anti-Capitalist Lit: Preparing for the autumn wardrobe transition, Vinted vs. Thrift, and why Elizabeth Gaskell’s 19th-century industrial novel North and South is lighting a fire in Millie.Masterclass: Paid Media Readiness: Caroline’s top three considerations before spending a penny on ads:House in Order: If you can't sell it organically, you can't sell it with paid.Tracking & Tags: Why you should install Google Analytics, LinkedIn Insight tags, and Meta Pixels long before you're ready to run ads.Define Your Objectives: Why setting your ad conversion to "page views" is a quick way to burn your budget.Key Actionable Takeaway: "Before you run ads, do an organic customer journey audit. Tracking tags should be on your site months before you spend a penny to build retargeting data. If your system is leaking organically, paying for traffic will only pay for your system to fail faster." Who are your hosts? Milly: I'm a serial COO with an MBA from Imperial College London. I'm the ultimate cheerleader for early-stage companies and I've got the knowledge you need to take your brilliant ideas from the drawing board to the board room. I help companies across all industries build simple strategic frameworks to help them grow by focussing on the most important tasks without breaking the bank. If you’re looking for help to fight the overwhelm, communicate with your team, or raise money for your business give me a shout and we can have a free, no-strings Discovery Call over at www.payasyougocoo.com.  Caroline: I’m  a marketing strategist and coach with a passion for making marketing simple, effective, and actually fun. I help entrepreneurs and small business owners cut through the noise, get crystal clear on their messaging, and create smarter strategies that actually move the needle. If you’re ready to build a marketing plan that feels good and gets results, you can work with me 1:1 through coaching or join the Smarter Marketing Club,  my community packed with training, support, and real-world marketing know-how. Head over to carolinesumners.com to find out more and book a free Discovery Call. This podcast is expertly edited by James Ede. You can check out his services at beheardproductions https://www.beheard.org.uk/ If you’re scaling your business or just surviving your latest breakdown, we’d love to hear from you, send us a message at startup.breakdown.podcast@gmail.com.

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About

Scaling a business can feel like a rollercoaster - and Startup Breakdown is here to ride it with you. Hosted by Caroline, a marketing strategist and Milly, a strategy and operations expert, this podcast combines real-world business advice with the hilarious and messy reality of running a startup. With decades of practical experience, more than a few war wounds, and hundreds of millions of pounds raised between them, Milly and Caroline bring you the insights you need to grow your business - without losing your mind. Expect practical tips, candid stories, and plenty of laughs.

Information

  • Creator
    Caroline Sumners, Milly Barker
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    89
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Caroline Sumners, Milly Barker
  • Show Website
    Startup Breakdown

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