The Small Business Sessions
Podcasts for small business owners 🎙️
Whether you're starting out or scaling up, the right advice makes all the difference. Enterprise Nation's podcasts cover everything from funding and marketing to legal must-knows and success stories – straight from UK entrepreneurs and industry experts. Tune in and get inspired!
Find out more at www.enterprisenation.com/podcast
---
🎧 The Small Business Sessions
The Small Business Sessions is a weekly podcast from our business.connected training programme, in partnership with Vodafone Business, that shares practical tips and stories from inspiring entrepreneurs and digital experts.
Access free training in a range of digital business areas, from online marketing to AI and smarter working at www.enterprisenation.com/business-connected
---
🎧 The Small Business Retail Sessions
The Small Business Retail Sessions is a podcast series from our Powering the High Street programme, in collaboration with EDF.
It explores the major challenges facing today’s retailers – from declining footfall, vacant storefronts, post-pandemic recovery and sustainability.
Whether you're a seasoned shopkeeper or a digital business ready to make the leap to bricks-and-mortar, Powering the High Street is your gateway to making a meaningful retail impact. Discover more at enterprisenation.com/poweringthehighstreet
The Small Business Sessions
Gbemi Okunlola on building a global fashion brand | The Small Business Retail Sessions
Welcome to the Small Business Retail Sessions podcast, brought to you by Enterprise Nation's Powering the High Street programme, in collaboration with EDF.
This series explores the major challenges that today's retailers are facing – from declining footfall and vacant shop-fronts to the post-pandemic recovery and increasing demand for sustainability.
In this first episode of the series, we're joined by Gbemi Okunlola, founder of Alonuko.
Started in 2012, Alonuko is a world-renowned women's fashion brand celebrated for its iconic bridal designs, intricate embroideries and inclusivity.
Gbemi's fashion journey began in her teenage years, and she's since grown Alonuko into a global name in luxury bridalwear, known for offering highly personalised and inclusive experiences for brides around the world.
Here, Gbemi shares how her early passion for design evolved into founding Alonuko. She reflects on the value of in-person retail experiences and offers advice for building a global brand.
Topics discussed in the episode:
- Where Gbemi's passion for fashion and entrepreneurship began
- How Alonuko transitioned from a small custom-dress service into a luxury bridal brand
- Key turning points in the brand's growth, including viral success and celebrity exposure
- The importance of designing for inclusivity across skin tones, sizes and cultures
- Why a high-touch, personalised customer experience is central to Alonuko's approach
- The role of physical retail experiences in a digital age, especially in bridalwear
- Navigating international demand and building a global presence – particularly in the US
-----
Through the Powering the High Street programme, we're bringing new energy to retail in the UK. We're helping small businesses thrive on the high street – through expert support, smart energy advice and practical tools to grow sustainably.
Find out more at enterprisenation.com/poweringthehighstreet/
To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to enterprisenation.com/podcast
.png)