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. 4D AGO

    Startup Breakdown Episode 49: The Early Night Club

    In this episode of Startup Breakdown we talk about the challenges of rehoming a dog, paint colours and what a lovely customer acquisition process Coat Paints have. We also talk about being a female entrepreneur without kids and how we all need to have community spaces that speak to us and our position. We also have a fairly lengthy conversation about being single. We talk when is the right time to invest on paid advertising, so that we don't waste money.  Percy's Instagram can be found at https://www.instagram.com/percyandrufus/ 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.

    54 min

  2. JAN 29

    Startup Breakdown Episode 48: More Mediocre White Men

    In this episode we talk Caroline getting over Covid, and we inevitably talk about Stephen Bartlett and the unhinged advice from hustle bros. This slightly unhinged episode covered a lot of topics and eventually we got to questions, and Milly covers Mission Statements, and what are their purpose. 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.

    58 min

  3. JAN 22

    Startup Breakdown Episode 47: We are back & Milo's in the house

    Chaos reigns in the first episode of 2026, we meet Milo the rescue pup, who is the new arrival in Milly's house. We also talk about Caroline's new hobby - pottery. Fair warning there is a lot of chat and, we should probably refocus this podcast as a dog, tv and menopause podcast. We also talk about our plans for 2026 and where we are going to focus this year. Welcome back! 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.

    1h 3m

  4. 12/18/2025

    Startup Breakdown Episode 46: It's Christmas Gift Time!

    Somehow we have managed a whole year of Startup Breakdown, and so in this episode, we reflect a little on the last year and generally prattle on about nothing. We also exchanged Christmas gifts and did a live Beauty Pie unboxing, which, for an audio podcast, was obviously a great idea! In listener questions we covered what we are seeing as priorities for marketing next year and whether you should we hire a facilitator to help you write your 2026 Strategy. 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/

    51 min

  5. 12/11/2025

    Startup Breakdown Episode 45: Are your nips smizing?!

    In this episode of Startup Breakdown it all became a bit unhinged as Milly gave us insight into how male writers depict women in literature. Yes, the examples are all real. We also talked about the doggy sales tactics of double glazing companies. Cue a lot of rage! In vaguely business related content we answered questions about 2026 marketing planning. What things should we take into consideration as we do this, and what’s the best tool to use to track our progress towards our goals? 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/

    49 min

  6. 12/04/2025

    Startup Breakdown Episode 44: Feminine Essentials

    In this episode Milly is unwell, and we talk about Caroline having a sex worker as a neighbour many years ago. The joy that is a garden centre shop, pottery classes, and a tangent of our joint love of William Morris and Milly recalls a rather embarrassing experience at the community sauna. In listener questions we were asked "I’m getting ready to put together our Strategy for next year. Should we have company goals and team goals?" 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/

    54 min

  7. 11/27/2025

    Startup Breakdown Episode 43: Life In The Fast Lane

    In this episode (possibly the most low energy podcast ever) we talk about blood donation, and the time Milly overdosed on squash. Yes that is a thing! In listener questions we talk about when is the right time to hire a CMO/COO and also cover how much does it cost to hire a freelance fractional.  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/

    50 min

  8. 11/20/2025

    Startup Breakdown Episode 42: Sometimes you get the bitterballen, sometimes you don’t.

    In this episode we talk about our love of Uniglo, Milly's latest obsession - The Morning Show as well as of course the return of Nobody Wants This. Caroline recounts her redundancy story from a large IT corporation and it reminds us to why we now work for ourselves. In listener questions, there were none, as Caroline recapped her recent visit to Amsterdam for an SEO conference, so we catch up on all the news from that. 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/

    54 min
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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
    51
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Caroline Sumners, Milly Barker
  • Show Website
    Startup Breakdown