Startup Breakdown

Caroline Sumners, Milly Barker
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated 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. 6d ago

    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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. Sep 3

    Startup Breakdown Episode 79: Give yourself a break

    In this episode of Startup Breakdown, hosts Milly and Caroline dive into the delicate art of balancing chaotic "lifeing" with sustainable business growth. They open up about their personal battles with burnout and overthinking, sharing why finding space for self-compassion is the ultimate entrepreneurial survival skill. From Milly's hilarious battle with a pair of squeaky running shoes to navigating the bureaucratic hurdles of GP online administration, this episode is a candid, laugh-out-loud reminder that running a business is a deeply human experience. Plus, the hosts tackle the toxic online culture of "passive income," explaining why it's a marketing myth and how to actually take a break by investing in operational support. The Squeaky Shoe Saga: Milly's search for the perfect treadmill running shoes backfires when her new pair starts squeaking like creaky pleather trousers in a silent room.The Master’s Finish Line: Caroline shares progress on her design qualification and the game-changing advice she received from her lecturer: "simplify, simplify, simplify."The GP System Rant: Millie dissects the absurd "999-day limit" of her GP surgery's online triage system and why it doesn't work for long-term health issues.Navigating Bureaucracy: How Caroline bypassed hospital phone queues to successfully get her father's cataract appointment rescheduled through sheer administrative grit.The "Passive Income" Fallacy: A blunt breakdown of why passive income is a myth, why it is actually highly active labor for someone else, and why the hosts compare MLM-style promoters to 1850s slum lords.Hiring to Breathe: Millie breaks down her startupiest moment of the week—the decision to invest back into her company by hiring an experienced operations manager to offload daily chaos. What We Cover in This Episode:Key Actionable Takeaway:If you are drowning in your business, the answer isn't to work harder; it's to give yourself a break or invest in the operational support that actually lets you step back. Stop feeling guilty for the things you aren't doing when you are busy keeping your clients happy and yourself sane." 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. Aug 27

    Startup Breakdown Episode 78: "It’s Capitalism's Fault, Once Again"

    In this episode Milly joined from the most fabulous house, so we talk home decor, Caroline goes on a climate crisis rant and concludes - well you see the title of this weeks episode. We also have a chat about Cinema, more dog talk and there are lots of breakdown elements this week! Milly answers "What’s the difference between an operational problem that is an 'emergency' and one that’s just 'urgent'? And how do I teach my team to tell the difference so they stop treating every minor problem like it's the end of the world?" 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. Aug 20

    Startup Breakdown Episode 77: Yoga For The Apocalypse

    In this episode we are introduced to new addition Betty, The Miniature Schnauzer, and what a cutie she is. There is a lot of puppy talk in this episode, so much so that we consider renaming the podcast. In questions Caroline answered how can I get my marketing mojo back? I have been super busy recently and my marketing has been abandoned. What is your advice for getting back on track?  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. Aug 13

    Startup Breakdown Episode 76: This is TMI btw

    ow to design a remote Operating System that keeps human connection going but isn’t giving everyone video call fatigue, for a fully remote team. 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
    85
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Caroline Sumners, Milly Barker
  • Show Website
    Startup Breakdown