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#6 Olivia Rubin: ‘The fashion industry asks for more and more’
Olivia Rubin is a celebrated British fashion designer known for her vibrant, feminine and joyful designs. Reviving her eponymous brand as a mum of two in 2018, Olivia rocketed to success. Within a year, the brand was stocked in Selfridges and Saks New York. Within three she had a store on Marylebone High Street and was presenting at London Fashion. Then there was a kids collection and collaborations with Elemis, sofa.com, Liberty and more. Her signature rainbow patterns and commitment to creating inclusive, size-diverse collections made her a favourite among celebrities and fashion enthusiasts alike. But in the last year, Olivia has decided to slow down - on the unsustainable pace of seasonal collections, on scaling so big she loses control and in her busy personal life too. In this episode we cover: How regaining control increases your enjoyment Celebrating the small winsAllowing space for yourself postpartum Finding the joy in dressing Mentions:Miuccia Prada’s 90s shows One of Olivia’s many posts that I reference on slowing down: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/p/DCHkY6iMEGH/?img_index=1⁠Links: https://oliviarubinlondon.com https://www.instagram.com/oliviarubin/
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#5 Solomon Oyemade: ‘Do You Mind If I Sit Here?’
Solomon Oyemade was a Location Manager and connector in East London whose curiosity and intuition took him to Sweden where he ran the kitchen in an African Drum School for 9 months and started to find his place at the intersection of creativity and social impact. After house-sitting in Costa Rica, California, Mexico, Portugal and Spain he nomadically built Curated Funding, an online library that gives creatives and social entrepreneurs access to an archive of active awards, grants, and funding initiatives. Solomon is currently the Special Projects Manager at Shoreditch Arts Club - programming events that celebrate diversity and grassroots creativity. Solomon’s journey is not the typical one which is why his perspectives and stories are so refreshing. In this episode we cover: Using your phone as a mailbox Anchors rather than titles Monastic experiences and being alone Being an experimenter Grief as a great equalizer What pervasive belief are you railing against today? The lens of gratitude is not about perfection Who are you when social expectation is removed? Mentions: Newham Youth Parliament WorkAwayFela KutiFresh, (1994) film by Boaz YakinLinks: https://www.instagram.com/solomonthefounder/ https://shoreditchartsclub.com/
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#4 Alexia de Broglie: ‘We got caught up in the glamour of being exited founders’
Alexia de Broglie is the co-founder of Your Juno, a financial education platform that helps women reach their financial goals. She started Your Juno with her sister at the age of 24 and raised over $2.5m in investment. In the last three years, Juno has supported 150,000 women in increasing their personal combined wealth by an estimated £600 million. Alexia has also been a guest editor at the Financial Times, named Forbes 30 under 30, ex-McKinsey & PwC, and featured for her work in Vogue, BBC, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan, amongst others. Re-imagining her life now after a failed sale of her business, Alexia is exploring different ways of living, community-building and slowing down. In this episode we cover: Seeking your father’s admiration Study drugs and doing it allHow that first big setback feels ISTA, love and travel on a journey of change Re-building the mind-body connection What you do with your privilege is what mattersThe role money plays in the loss of community Mentions:Charles EisensteinThe Art of Gathering by Priya ParkerInternational School of Temple Arts (ISTA) Links: https://www.yourjuno.co/
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#3 Matt Klein: “We are negotiating our time back from work”
Matt Klein is an award-winning cultural theorist, strategist, and writer renowned for his insights into societal trends and digital culture. His present role is Head of Foresight at Reddit and running his award-winning publication ZINE (which you should subscribe to!). As a sought-after speaker and consultant, Matt collaborates with brands, the UN, investors, philanthropists and press to navigate the complexities of the modern world. I speak to him on if slowing down, and re-defining our careers for ourselves is a macro-movement in the zeitgeist. In this episode we cover: Lazy Girl Jobs and the Great Resignation Our mass desire to renegotiate our time back at work How social media makes our public image always-on How to fend off the hungry content monster How capitalism sells you wellness How spending a day with a child can help you slow down Mentions: The Century of the Self (2002) Documentary by Adam Curtis Future Shock, Alvin Toffler Theory of Self-Preservation, Irving Goffman Big Brothers, Big Sisters: https://www.bbbs.org/ Team Human, Douglas Rushkoff Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kleinkleinklein/ KleinKleinKlein.com
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#2 Ellie Dixon: 'I needed rest, in an industry that valued constant output'
Ellie Dixon is an indie-pop musician and songwriter from Cambridge known for her witty, self-aware lyrics and creative production techniques. Starting her career by crafting music from her bedroom studio, merging pop, jazz, rap, and R&B, she amassed over a million followers on Tiktok through duets, remixes, covers and now her own body of work. Her most recent work includes the EP In Case of Emergency (2023) and singles "Big Lizard Energy" and "Renaissance" (2024). In addition to her musical talent, Ellie is known for her hands-on approach to all aspects of her craft, including directing and producing her music videos. In this episode we cover: Piano lessons to music-making Playing at Glastonbury on your own terms When the label drops you - build your own label What to do after burnout In defence of rest Mentions: Music Youtubers: Walk of the Earth, Pentatonix, Dodie Musical influences: Katie Tunstall, Adele, Bill Bailey, Tim Minchin, Fight of the Concords, My Chemical Romance, Easy Life, Remi Wolf, Hippocampus, Anderson .Paak, Doja Cat The Bird Cage (1996) film by Mike Nichols Links: https://www.elliedixonmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/elliedixonmusic https://www.tiktok.com/@elliedixonmusic?lang=en
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