S6: Emma Bridgewater shares the highs and lows of building a timeless brand from scratch
Conversations of Inspiration
Holly Tucker MBE
5.0 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 4 November 2019
⏱️ 71 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode Holly hears from Emma about how she built her iconic brand over the last 35 years, creating lasting designs, and reviving an industry in Stoke.
With a turn over of over £20 million a year, Holly and Emma explore life as a female entrepreneur in a male dominated industry, discuss their approach to 'mother's guilt' and the strong role family plays within business.
From sharing thoughts on the life span of a product, to discussing the impact her own beloved mother had on her career, this episode is a rare glimpse into Emma Bridgewater and her iconic brand.
Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? It's worth following Holly Tucker MBE and Holly & Co on Instagram, and subscribing to our weekly newsletter on our website, where Holly downloads her thoughts, and exclusively shares small business finds and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | As I was welcomed into Emma Bridgewater's studio in London, I knew this conversation would be a very special one. |
| 0:07.5 | I don't mind saying I was a little nervous as I made my way across London to record this podcast because personally Emma is a huge |
| 0:15.7 | inspiration to me and despite never having met her I have followed her story for many |
| 0:21.6 | years as a 28 year old setting up not on the high street |
| 0:25.6 | there were very few women I could look to for inspiration but Emma was most certainly one of them. |
| 0:32.6 | 35 years since founding her company, |
| 0:35.2 | the Emma Bridgewater brand has gone from strength to strength |
| 0:39.6 | and now turns over more than 20 million pounds a year and employs over 300 people. |
| 0:46.6 | As well as sharing her journey to success, Emma discussed her inspirational mother, her philosophy as a female entrepreneur, as well as reviving a dying |
| 0:57.0 | industry in Stoke. |
| 0:59.2 | I do hope you enjoy this episode. |
| 1:01.6 | It was such an honor and personal moment for me to stop and |
| 1:06.0 | smell the roses. |
| 1:07.0 | Bow your head and let your eyelids close on down where we're going you won't need to bring your frown. |
| 1:14.8 | I'm Holly Tucker and welcome to conversations of inspiration. |
| 1:18.9 | Back in 2006 I founded not on the high street from my kitchen table and since then I've gone on to launch Holly and co |
| 1:26.8 | I'm the UK ambassador of creative small businesses and I believe that having a business doing what you love is the key to a happy fulfilled life. |
| 1:36.0 | My dream is to help everybody start theirs. |
| 1:39.0 | I'm here to offer advice, inspiration, wisdom and encouragement. |
| 1:44.4 | And in my view, the best way to do this is by sharing stories. |
| 1:49.5 | So I've reached out to my favorite small businesses, entrepreneurs and those who simply inspire me |
| 1:56.1 | and ask them to share theirs. Here are my conversations of inspiration. |
... |
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