Coffee & Oysters: The London Business Babe Podcast

frances odera matthews

The only business & lifestyle podcast for & by London’s female founders and creative women entrepreneurs to ungatekeep your next move & life in the city. In each founder interview, London’s Business Babes share unfiltered chats about their real wins and struggles with host Frances Odera Matthews, a certified Notion expert and founder of The Notion Bar. Together, they cover how they became entrepreneurs and built multiple income streams, plus their time-saving tech tools and the move-the-needle networking strategies that opened doors. You’ll also get an insider’s guide to London’s best places to eat, work & network, with the coworking spots, cafés and hidden gems our guests swear by. Whether you’re a woman in business navigating London’s startup scene or looking for career inspiration, we know a healthy work-life balance is key to hitting your goals. Each episode shares practical tips from ambitious women on intentional living, scaling a business and avoiding burnout. Join us! coffeeandoysters.substack.com

  1. Sep 28

    How this London Talent Agency is Surviving the Anti-Influencer Trend | Phie McKenzie | Creative Ally

    Building a purpose-led London talent agency that doesn’t compromise on values requires hard work. Phie McKenzie, a female founder in the creator economy, reflects on year four of betting on impact-driven creators and building her talent agency Creative Ally. She joins host and Notion consultant Frances Odera Matthews to unpack her journey into entrepreneurship after a career working with emerging talent at Notion Magazine and Studio71. She covers making her first full-time hires, the imposter syndrome that kept a finished business unlaunched for six months, and how “no-call-Mondays” stop her four-person team burning out. As a Welsh founder who was told to lose her accent to work in London media, staying true to identity is a big part of her strategy. This includes her Welsh creative collective Clwb Creative Cymru and saying no to big brand deals from industries such as gambling, vape and fossil fuels. She also covers trends in the creator economy such as the rise of the “essayist”, anti-influencer backlash and what it says about the cost of living crisis, and AI tools. For the London guide, stay tuned for the best London coworking spaces and east London food spots you’ll want to immediately save! --- Substack mailing list for guest recommendations in the Coffee & Oysters Guide, Spotify Playlist & Interactive Map: https://coffeeandoysters.substack.com Phie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phie-mckenzie/ Phie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phiemckenzie/ Creative Ally: https://creativeally.online/ Move Over Mother Theresa podcast: https://www.momt.world Clwb Creative Cymru: https://www.instagram.com/clwb_creative_cymru/ --- 0:00 Intro 1:58 From Magazine Editor to 100K Followers 7:20 Building a Purpose-Led Talent Agency 12:22 Imposter Syndrome, First Hires and Creator Signals 24:26 The Anti-Influencer Era and Saying No to Brand Deals 29:26 Welsh Identity and Creative Ownership 36:01 The Founder Tech Stack and Personal Policies 52:28 London Coworking Spaces and Food Spots 💬 Become a guest 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack 📺 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

    How this London Talent Agency is Surviving the Anti-Influencer Trend | Phie McKenzie | Creative Ally

  2. Sep 14

    Queer, African & Running Multiple Businesses as a Couple?! | Obsidian Adebayo & Eniola Abioye

    What’s it actually like running a business with your partner? And can you be Black, queer, African and fully yourself in business? What boundaries do you have to put in place to build an intentional life? Eniola Abioye and Obsidian Adebayo — the founders behind UX Out Loud and The Influence Index — join host and Notion consultant Frances Odera Matthews with business tips on running a business with your partner, pivoting a service business, and building visibly as queer African founders. Eniola spent over a decade in user research, nearly four years of it at Meta, before going full-time on the coaching business she’d been building on the side. Obsidian came from investment banking via Gal-dem and PinkNews. Now they run the two companies as life and business partners. They get honest about what it actually takes: separate workspaces and Slack, weekly business meetings plus a separate family admin meeting, a shared finances Google Sheet, and hard rules about not talking shop at 10pm. Eniola breaks down why she moved UX Out Loud from one-to-one coaching to B2B research strategy, and Obsidian explains why she pivoted The Influence Index from a data platform to a media company. Plus their new idea: a talent-exchange village for Black women where members trade expertise instead of money. Plus the tech stack that runs both businesses (Lovable, Vercel, Kit, Slack, Calendly), their hype songs from Doechii to Ayra Starr, blazers-in-five-minutes styling, okra water, and their London spots from Shoreditch House to Hackney Wick. Substack mailing list for guest recommendations in the Coffee & Oysters Guide, Spotify Playlist & Interactive Map: https://coffeeandoysters.substack.com/ Eniola on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eniolaabioye/ Obsidian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/obsidian-a-111b5858 00:00 Intro 02:22 Two Businesses: UX Out Loud & The Influence Index 10:45 Business Or Love First? 14:16 How To Run A Business With Your Partner 22:08 Why They Both Pivoted 29:38 A Talent Exchange For Black Women Founders 45:45 Relationships vs Systems: What Moves The Needle 1:08:07 London Spots, Wins & Dream Collabs 💬 Become a guest 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack 📺 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

    Queer, African & Running Multiple Businesses as a Couple?! | Obsidian Adebayo & Eniola Abioye

  3. Aug 31

    What Startup Stories Can Learn from Ancient Myths + Building in London vs Italy | Emma Pegg | Cantadora

    Can ancient mythology really sell a climate tech startup? What does running a UK business from an Italian village look like? And how do you grow slower without losing clients? Emma Pegg, fractional product marketer and founder of Cantadora, the product storytelling studio for nature and the climate, joins host and Notion consultant Frances Odera Matthews with business tips on brand storytelling for founders, working remotely from Italy, and building a studio in climate and nature tech. Cantadora means keeper of stories, and Emma takes that literally, adamant that we can learn from mythology. Fore example, she retells how one of the earliest myths of Ishtar descending into heaven actually contains metaphors for AI. Then goes on to describe how she applies these principles in her client work. She recently swapped the hustle of the fast London hustle for slow Italian living. She unpacks how her new Italian neighbours saying she works too much, while her London culture says she isn’t working enough. This new perspective has put her on a crossroads: does she stay as a one-woman band or expand to a team? Equally, how does she grown her own storytelling practice for her slow living food blog Pasta Nipotina. Emma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmapeggmarketing/ Substack mailing list for guest recommendations in the Coffee & Oysters Guide, Spotify Playlist & Interactive Map: https://coffeeandoysters.substack.com/ 00:00 Intro 03:46 From Laid Off to Freelancing 09:25 Why She Bet On Climate & Nature Tech 12:56 The 4,000 Year Old Myth Behind Her Client Work 18:27 Accountants, Dividends & The Boring Bits 30:19 London vs Italy: Scaling The Feminine Way 36:42 6am Starts, Cycle Syncing & Beauty Heroes 43:40 AI Tools, Notion & Her London Spots 💬 Become a guest 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack 📺 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

    What Startup Stories Can Learn from Ancient Myths + Building in London vs Italy | Emma Pegg | Cantadora

  4. Aug 17

    6 London Founders Share 60+ Best Places to Eat & Network in the City

    In this throwback episode of Coffee & Oysters, we're revisiting the guides of the best places to eat, work and relax in London shared by six brilliant London Business Babes who've graced the show. Whether you're after your next date-night restaurant at a Michelin-starred Nigerian restaurant, a quiet corner to work from, or a networking group that actually feels like home, consider this your little black book for living life like a true London Business Babe. 00:00 Introduction 01:31 Lizzie Damilola Blackburn's guide to London - Nigerian fine dining, Milton Keynes gems & more 09:24 Caroline Marshall's guide to London - North London eats, member clubs & theatre 18:35 Jade Buffong's guide to London - Michelin-starred cravings, coworking spots & networking groups 25:00 Ettie Bailey-King's guide to London - Hackney Wick bakeries, cafés & an inclusive gym 33:24 Candace Salters' guide to London - Chelsea restaurants, hidden coworking spots & jazz nights 41:10 Vesta Afo's guide to London - East London eats, hotel lobby coworking & bucket-list experiences 50:28 Final Recap 💬 Become a guest 🪄 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

    6 London Founders Share 60+ Best Places to Eat & Network in the City

  5. Aug 3

    Her 200-Woman London Arts Collective, AI Ethics & Cancer at 26 | Miriam Fearon | Muses in the City

    How do you build a 200-woman collective from a single dinner table? Are AI and the arts actually in conflict? And what does a cancer diagnosis at 26 teach you about saying no? London founder Miriam Fearon, co-founder of Muses in the City, joins host and Notion consultant Frances Odera Matthews with business tips on AI transformation, protecting your energy in a demanding city job, and building a community that went from nine women around a dinner table to over 200. Miriam breaks down what an aggressive cancer diagnosis at 26 taught her about boundaries, why "no is a full and complete sentence," and how a childhood doll called Sahara set her up for a career spanning search, big tech, and philanthropy. She shares why AI transformation is a behaviour problem rather than a tech one, what UN research revealed about why women hesitate to adopt AI, and how Muses in the City is quietly unlocking the doors of London's arts and heritage spaces for women who've been shut out of them. Plus what she learned about representation when every leaflet she was handed showed someone who looked nothing like her. Plus why she'd BRICK her phone, East Asian SPF picks from Beauty of Joseon to Supergoop, and how to get opera for £20 at the ENO. Steal Miriam’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide. Miriam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriamfearon 00:00 Intro 03:16 How her Childhood Doll and the IB made her a Multi-Hyphenate 06:52 What Cancer At 26 Taught Her About Boundaries 13:11 Why Representation In A Diagnosis Matters 18:00 Muses In The City: 9 Women To 200 26:51 Why Women Aren't Adopting AI 36:32 Hype Songs, Saying No & Personal Policies 43:18 Style, SPF, BRICK & London Spots 💬 Become a guest 🪄 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

    Her 200-Woman London Arts Collective, AI Ethics & Cancer at 26 | Miriam Fearon | Muses in the City

  6. Jul 20

    Your Dream Clients Are One AI Search Away | Gala Jackson-Coombs | Glint Marketing | Postpartum London Founder

    How do you start an agency four months postpartum? Can AI actually find your business? London founder Gala Jackson-Coombs, the woman behind Glint Marketing, joins host and Notion consultant Frances Odera Matthews with business tips on AI search visibility, building a B2B service business around a baby’s nap schedule, and why betting on herself felt safer than staying in an agency. Gala spent 13 years managing £1m+ budgets for Coca-Cola, Toyota and Accor before launching Glint at four months postpartum. She breaks down her Glint Visibility Architecture: Retrievability (can AI even find you), Extractability (can it actually use your content), Authority (does it have any reason to trust you). She explains why most professional service businesses are invisible to AI search without realising it. She talks first clients, tapping your existing network before you touch cold outreach, the mindset shift from people-pleaser to her own cheerleader, and replacing her full-time salary while keeping Fridays free for her daughter. Who this is for: consultants, agency owners and expert-led service founders who want clients arriving already convinced and any mum building a business around childcare. --- 00:00 Intro 02:42 From Philosophy Degree to 13 Years in Agencies 06:21 Why Leaving With a Baby Felt Less Risky 10:02 Her First Client and the Money-Making Activities Rule 14:51 The Glint Visibility Architecture Explained 21:07 Scary Investments, Communities and Coaching 26:10 Replacing the Salary and Doubling Client Leads 43:59 Tools, Style, Berenjak and Hyde Park --- Steal Gala’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide: https://rebrand.ly/coguide London Marketing Event: https://events.glintmarketing.co.uk/ Gala on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/galajc/ Glint Marketing: https://www.glintmarketing.co.uk Glint Marketing on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glint.marketing/ --- 💬 Become a guest 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack 📺 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

    Your Dream Clients Are One AI Search Away | Gala Jackson-Coombs | Glint Marketing | Postpartum London Founder

  7. Jul 6

    You Don't Need to Go Viral to Make Six Figures | Jess Bruno | Content, AI & Chronic Illness

    How do you build a six-figure business with under 5K Instagram followers? How do you grow a personal brand when you’re the face of your business? And how do you run it all sustainably while living with a chronic illness? London content strategist Jess Bruno, the woman behind Ne’Twerking and some of your favourite personal brands joins Coffee & Oysters with business tips on building a small but loyal community, turning followers into paying clients, and why you don’t need to go viral to grow. Jess breaks down how she went from leaving her corporate marketing job at 27 with 30p to her name to hitting six figures in 2024 on a three-posts-a-week content strategy she’s barely changed since. She shares her “Instagram is a CRM” mindset, why women in business with chronic illness should charge more, and her honest, slightly spicy take on AI in content (including the client who ran her work through Claude and asked for a refund). Plus hear more about her low/high-touch beauty routines, her trusty solo-founder tech stack (Dubsado, Kartra, Slack, Canva, Tide) and her favourite North London coworking spaces. --- 00:00 Intro 02:03 The Membership & Why Personal Branding Beats Niching 06:48 From Singing Degree to Accidental Marketer 10:20 The £25 Session That Started a Business 15:39 Building a Business Around Chronic Illness 19:02 Six Figures With Under 5K Followers 27:49 The Honest Truth About AI & Content 39:26 Hype Songs, Tools, Style & London Spots--- Steal Jess’s “stack” of recommendations (along with all guests) in the Coffee & Oysters Guide. Jess on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatjessbruno/ Ne’Twerking on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/netwerking_/ Jess on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thatjessbruno/ Jess’s website: https://www.jessicabruno.co.uk --- 💬 Become a guest 🪄 Partnerships & Questions: coffeeandoysters@gmail.com 💌 Never miss an episode: Sign up to Substack 📺 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

    You Don't Need to Go Viral to Make Six Figures | Jess Bruno | Content, AI & Chronic Illness

  8. 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

    How to Grow a Sea Moss Brand With No Paid Ads | Moss & Glow | Oyinka Yusuff & Jessica Richards
See All (48)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The only business & lifestyle podcast for & by London’s female founders and creative women entrepreneurs to ungatekeep your next move & life in the city. In each founder interview, London’s Business Babes share unfiltered chats about their real wins and struggles with host Frances Odera Matthews, a certified Notion expert and founder of The Notion Bar. Together, they cover how they became entrepreneurs and built multiple income streams, plus their time-saving tech tools and the move-the-needle networking strategies that opened doors. You’ll also get an insider’s guide to London’s best places to eat, work & network, with the coworking spots, cafés and hidden gems our guests swear by. Whether you’re a woman in business navigating London’s startup scene or looking for career inspiration, we know a healthy work-life balance is key to hitting your goals. Each episode shares practical tips from ambitious women on intentional living, scaling a business and avoiding burnout. Join us! coffeeandoysters.substack.com

Information