She Leads Collective Podcast: stories, allyship and confidence tools for women

Episode 9 - From Adversity to Advocacy : Leading the Free-From Revolution

• Mary Gregory • Season 1 • Episode 9

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What if the thing that once threatened your life became the foundation of your purpose?

Diagnosed with severe anaphylaxis at age two, Julianne Ponan MBE has spent her life navigating a world that isn’t built for people with allergies—and doing something extraordinary about it.

As the founder and CEO of Creative Nature, Julianne built one of the UK’s leading Top 14 allergen-free brands, securing listings in major supermarkets, exporting to 16 countries, and supplying seven international airlines. She’s a bold advocate and policy voice, influencing allergy awareness across schools, Parliament, and even airline catering.

In this episode, we explore:

  • The moment she turned down a Dragons’ Den offer—and why
  • The bias she faced when pitching for finance as a young woman of colour
  • Her role as Export Policy Champion for the FSB and Non-Exec Director at GS1 UK
  • Becoming Medic Alert’s first ambassador in 65 years
  • Leading with courage, resilience, and impact

Whether you’re a business founder, policy changemaker, or someone passionate about inclusion, Julianne’s story will leave you inspired—and fired up to lead with purpose.

Connect with Julianne and follow Creative Nature on Instagram - @julianne.ponan and @creativenature

If you’re a woman leader who’s ever doubted your confidence, explore my programme “Exploding the Confidence Myth” → https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exploding-the-confidence-myth-tickets-1617750698889?aff=oddtdtcreator

🔗 Connect with me: marygregory.com

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✨ Produced by Mary Gregory Leadership Coaching

SPEAKER_00:

Hello and welcome to She Leads Collective podcast. I'm Mary Gregory and I'm so glad you're here. This podcast is a space for honest conversations about what it really means to lead as a woman today and how we can all show up with more courage, care and clarity. You'll hear from inspiring women, powerful allies and bold truth tellers who are changing the game, not by playing tougher, but by leading smarter, softer, and stronger. Hello and welcome to this week's episode of the She Leads Collective podcast. What if your biggest challenge in life became the very thing that set you apart as a leader? Julianne Ponan, MBE, has lived with life threatening anaphylaxis since she was two years old, but she refused to let that define her. Instead, she turned it into a mission. At just 22 years old, Julianne became CEO of Creative Nature, an award-winning food brand entirely free from the top 14 allergens. She's since grown it into a global business, exporting to 16 countries, stocked in major supermarkets and even served on international airlines. Julianne has spoken in Parliament, influenced national policy and helped educate thousands through allergy awareness assemblies. And in 2024, she became the first MedicAlert ambassador in over six decades. But her journey hasn't been smooth. When she pitched on Dragon's Den, she was offered investment but had the courage to walk away. She's also faced overt bias and prejudice in the world of finance, especially as a young woman of colour in business. Julianne's story is one of grit, clarity and fierce purpose. And today we get to hear what it really takes to lead a movement as well as a business. Julianne, welcome so much to the She Leads Collective podcast.

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you so much. I'm so excited to be on here.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I'm delighted to have you here. And I do take your time. I do value your time. So I really appreciate you giving up your time for me today. And I hope we're going to have a great conversation because you have got a fantastic story in terms of your leadership story and the creation of your business. So with that in mind, Could you go back to the beginning and just tell us a bit more about your personal journey?

SPEAKER_03:

Sure. I guess it all really started before I can properly remember because I had my first anaphylactic reaction when I was two years old. So I have anaphylaxis and anaphylaxis, for those of you who don't know, is when you're allergic to certain foods, medication and you stop breathing and it's a reaction that happens in the body. and you need

SPEAKER_01:

an FEP.

SPEAKER_03:

So anyway, I had my first reaction when I was two years old, which I don't remember at all, but my mum recalls and I was at nursery and unfortunately I collapsed after eating a cookie that was given to me and was rushed to hospital and luckily my life was saved and I ended up in intensive care. Sort of fast forward over the years of that, I was diagnosed with having multiple allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, chickpeas, lentils, and so many more things. And food was very difficult because when you're growing up, food actually becomes quite a big part of everything. So for example, Christmas time, we all get around the same table. When you go out on a date, you go out for dinner, all of these different things. And I always wanted to feel included. And in primary school, when I went for the first time into, I think it was like year three, and I was so excited to make new friends and be at a new school but what actually was really scary was I was going to have to talk about my allergies and the first day of primary school they pulled me to one side and they said you need to sit over there and pointed towards like a table and it was called the allergy table

SPEAKER_00:

oh my goodness

SPEAKER_03:

And at that time, I was the only child on the allergy table and I hated going to school. I hated lunch times. It became a time where I just never wanted to be there or eat any food or do anything. And it really, I guess that's what sparked me into, I want to create something that's so inclusive that no one has to miss out, whether you have allergies, whether you don't. And that's really what inspired me to start Creative Nature was that. that exclusion. Now I've created a brand from my kitchen table that literally makes bars, baking kits from cakes to banana bread, but not just people like me can eat. Everyone can have and everyone goes, oh my gosh, I can't believe this is allergen-free or top 14 allergen-free because it tastes so good.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. Well, I've tasted some of your products and they are absolutely delicious, actually. I'm so glad. And what I've noticed is, I mean, just in hearing what you say, I mean, 14 allergens, they're free of 14 allergens, but the multiple allergies that you have, I have a wheat intolerance, which in itself, you know, I go out for a meal and that causes quite a palaver. So I'm just thinking how challenging growing up that must have been And even today, I mean, we're more educated than we were and restaurants seem to be better than they were. But there's still such a huge gap in understanding and being able to cater for people who have allergies.

SPEAKER_03:

Definitely. I think there's so much more work that needs to be done. I think we've moved forward in leaps and bounds in terms of legislation, like you've got Natasha's Law, which protects a lot of people because the allergens have to be declared on path, which is great. However, what I find is a lot of restaurants won't even serve me. They will make me sign a waiver to say, basically that I shift all liability to myself and that they don't need to worry. But actually that's, That's not very inclusive at

SPEAKER_00:

all. No, and hardly fills you in confidence, does it? That actually it's going to be okay to eat here. It actually would tell me I'm not okay to eat here.

SPEAKER_03:

And I always ask people, I don't know if you remember, but I ask people, would you eat something that may contain glass? And so many people go, oh my gosh, no, I would never dream of eating something that said that. And I say, well, that's how I feel every time someone says something may contain nuts.

UNKNOWN:

Yes.

SPEAKER_03:

It would kill me.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, yes. So I hear very clearly how your purpose and mission is really, really a very heartfelt one from your own lived experience. And you took a role at the age of 22, which seems very young for me. And I'm not criticising that because I think there are probably other people who take that role when they're young as well. But it was a very brave thing to do. You took on the role of CEO of Creative Nature at the age of 22. to, what gave you the confidence to lead a business at that age?

SPEAKER_03:

I'm not sure whether I knew why or it's a really tough question, I guess, because I think when you're younger, your ability to take more risks is higher. I think you have less responsibility as well. I think that also helped me in the sense that I had a a purpose, a mission that I wanted to achieve and being able to create my own business and create something that was going to grow and be meaningful. I didn't know how big it would be to begin with. It really did start from the kitchen table and it really was going out there to Kingston High Street and getting people to try the product, selling at markets, all of these things. yes i guess being a ceo at that age the responsibility that you suddenly have and the everything falls to you and you have to just keep going and i think it's about that progress of one step at a time and as long as you're taking that little step no matter how small it is i think that's about that's what gives you clarity and that's what helps you get to the next level. A lot of people look at others and I was a big culprit for it and I still am till today when you sort of compare yourself and I think when you're comparing yourself to someone that is already sort of four years into their journey and you go, oh my gosh, they've done all of this, but actually that consistent step forward, that 1% gain, is so much more when you're looking back in time and i always say that to people it's um yes i might have started at 22 but it's a compounded amount of work that's slowly been built on top of each other one step at a time

SPEAKER_00:

yes yes i think that's a a really good thing to share because we all of us can can own up probably to looking at others and thinking oh they're doing great why am i not doing as great as though we don't know what goes on underneath that we don't know what they're experiencing or what they're doing and that whole thing of just take one step at a time and keep moving yourself in the right direction is what is going to help you progress so So let's talk about some of your journey because you appeared on Dragon's Den and you were offered investment. So you obviously had a really a business that was attractive to people who wanted to invest. It was a going concern. What was it like being in that room and what actually made you decide to walk away?

SPEAKER_03:

Dragon's Den, it was an incredible experience. I think to anyone that does it, it's something you can't really ever explain properly unless you've physically been in the den. However, what I would say is that when I went into the den, we had actually been asked to go in four times before we went in.

SPEAKER_00:

Wow. So it wasn't like you applied to go in. You

SPEAKER_03:

were invited. Yeah, we never applied to go in to begin with. You do have to do an application once they ask you, would you be interested? You do like an audition, which is quite interesting in itself. But that's not with the Dragons. You do it with the producers. And we decided the reason on the whole time was because we were launching into a supermarket. And we thought we do have a viable business and we do want expertise and we do want the funding as well. But on top of that, even if we were to get none of that and we weren't to get an offer and we weren't to get, I don't know, they didn't like the product, for example, what would be the gain still? And that's how we weighed it on. And the gain would still be hundreds of thousands of people's eyes on us. So it's the visibility. And that visibility in itself is so important, especially when you're a bootstrapped brand. So we hadn't taken any funding. So we had bootstrapped everything and just built our revenues by reinvesting the profit. And some people will say that's fantastic, and other people will say we don't believe that was the right way to grow. And you could have grown a lot faster if you had taken external. So there are different ways to build a business, but I believe that this way was a sustainable way and a way that enabled us to grow with the

SPEAKER_01:

market

SPEAKER_03:

at the time as well. So yes, in terms of Dragon's Den, the experience was so nerve-wracking. The lift isn't real. Is

SPEAKER_00:

it not? What, you have to walk up the stairs?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, so you walk into a little area and then the doors just open. so there's no actually it doesn't go up or down which is really interesting um but yeah in terms of the dragons themselves i found it it really pushed me outside my comfort zone and i i believe that every now and then it is important to have these things that challenge you and we get it within the business still today of things that you you have to overcome obstacles that you have to either jump over, go around, go under, find a solution and find a way to get through. And I guess that was what Dragon's Den was for me. It was really about learning about my business itself as well, because a lot of due diligence goes into it before you get into that room. And I think that's really important because you're able to really understand your business and question and challenge and prod all the bits that you need to do because you're going to be asked those questions. I think Dragon's Den though is very different to pitching to an investor. I think it's obviously it's TV so what you see is we had 16 minutes of air on TV but we were actually in the den for over two and a half hours.

SPEAKER_00:

Wow so they obviously are very selective in what they edit. it down to two and a half hours to 16 minutes

SPEAKER_03:

exactly and all those things that you remember that you said like oh my gosh they didn't include that or oh why why didn't they say that and My one tip is never ever wear heels in the den because you're going to be standing for a long time in the same spot.

SPEAKER_00:

Goodness, Lisa, were your feet killing you at the end?

SPEAKER_03:

Genuinely, I thought I was going to cry just from my feet. Oh

SPEAKER_00:

dear. So what caused you, what was, I mean, the decision to walk away took real courage. What was behind that decision?

SPEAKER_03:

Gut feel is a big thing when you're running a small business and you're trying to grow.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes.

SPEAKER_03:

And for me, I didn't, believe the valuation was right. I knew we were launching into a supermarket. We'd done a lot of groundwork and I just felt that what we were going to get in terms of value and also potentially resource didn't weigh up to what I needed it to be. So that's why I chose not to go ahead with the offer.

SPEAKER_00:

And I really want to acknowledge how much you trusted your instincts in that moment and in that decision. And from the history that we've seen since, that was the right decision.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, it's always that what-if machine, isn't it? Imagine if you had a what-if machine, what would it have been like? Would we be much bigger than we are now or would we not? No one ever really knows. But I think once you've made the decision, you shouldn't really be going... well what if because actually just move forward with the decision that you that you've made yes what we did and it was tough because my parents was wanting us to take the the deal so much they thought it was brilliant and obviously all my friends as well when it aired how could you not take the deal And it's very hard to explain, especially when people really wanted you to take it. And in my heart, I did really think it would be fantastic to work with Deborah Meaden as well. She's a phenomenal dragon. She's done incredible things, and she's really got fantastic views on things like allergies, sustainability, all of these things. So it would have been fantastic to work with her. But I made that choice.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, the rest is history. I suppose what I'm hearing is how much kudos is attached to television and being there in the public eye and how people wanted maybe were attached themselves to you following that through. Because my next question is, what did the experience teach you about visibility, storytelling and your self-worth in business?

SPEAKER_03:

I believe that an authentic story is really important and a lot of people ask me so for example I mentor for Virgin Startup and a few other places as well and some people come to me and go how do I like give me an idea for a business I can't give you that idea you you have to feel it you have to know what purpose and what values are going to drive you to create something that's a solution for for other people um and i think that i guess in a way it's dragons den really amplified my story and it it made me realize how many people out there wanted to listen to me wanted to listen to what i've been through with my journey with anaphylaxis and there's no I guess there's it's real there's not a fake story behind it it's purely authentic and unfortunately I have been in hospital many times from it and seeing how I've been able to live my life without letting it define me being able to travel the world mums of kids with allergies saw this as a fantastic way that gave them hope for their children as well. And I think that was fantastic. So storytelling is a big part and how to tell your story as well. It's about delivering those messages and those things in an easy way for people to understand, but also a relatable and emotional way that hits them where they'll remember it. I always find that you can tell people a million facts but they will actually latch on to the one thing that you said that was in motion. For example, the, would you eat something that may contain glass? That is the thing that they remember rather than the, oh yes, we grew it. a

SPEAKER_00:

hundred percent year on year or whatever it might be. It's fantastic. Yes. And using that as an example is very real and resonates with people, doesn't it as well? You mentioned when you were talking about Dragon's Den, the difference between the experience of Dragon's Den and also pitching to finance for backing. So let's move on to that now. And I've heard you present before, and I've also heard you talk about some of the bias and prejudice that you faced with when you were pitching for funding. Could you share some of the experiences that you had there? Just because I think it's useful for people to know what actually goes on.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes, I was quite shocked at some of the things I experienced because I feel that we've moved so far on and in a positive way. Yes. where a lot of female founders are starting businesses and there are a lot more funds out there as well however when I was going out for funding I found it very difficult and I actually came from finance so came from a background where I understood funding I understood mergers and acquisitions I came from that industry so I thought wow this has got to be not Not as hard as everyone's thinking

SPEAKER_00:

now. You thought it was going to be really

SPEAKER_03:

easy. Yes, I did think it was going to be quite easy. But my, my, I was definitely proven wrong on that. But yeah, when I did go out, it was quite difficult. So we were getting no's. And one time, for example, I was called publicly. They said, oh, you're just a little girl. You'll never launch into a supermarket with just two people. And that was really quite, shocking because I just didn't expect to be receiving comments like that at all really and I'd not experienced that having worked in finance before.

SPEAKER_00:

Well you'd never hear somebody say you're just a little boy.

SPEAKER_03:

Exactly well I hope not and I don't think I ever ever ever heard that and then in terms of other things we got advice from certain consultants in particular and they advised me to bring a white man with me which was an interesting take on why that would make our investment pitch any better because I didn't really understand as to what what difference would that make in terms of the stability of the company or the growth of the company or the direction the company is going and I ended up taking that with me and he didn't really speak any like to speak about anything to do with the finance side of the business because that wasn't his role or his expertise so I think those things really did shape me and at one time I wanted to sort of throw the towel in and say no I just I think maybe I've been able to do what I can and let's just sell this." That was quite early on in the journey. However, I'm glad I didn't and I'm glad I stuck it out and proved those investors wrong because some of those investors then came back wanting to buy the business. It was crazy to have that moment of, well, at that time you wouldn't invest and now you're a lot more

SPEAKER_00:

interesting yeah it's not interesting and they also get so i just want to flag matt is your husband and partner business partner um as well um but how did you find navigating those systemic barriers because that's what they are it's like a real fantastic um well fantastic is the wrong word really but it's a it's a a very clear demonstration of unconscious bias that, you know, people were behaving that way. They might not have consciously been aware of the impact it was having on you. Because I hear that also the impact it had was it almost made you want to give up. And thank goodness you didn't. But I just think I wonder how many other female entrepreneurs would have given up going through that. So what kept you going? and how did you navigate it?

SPEAKER_03:

That's the why. I think that's why it's so important to have that purpose driven because there are going to be tough days. There's going to be really, really tough days where you're thinking, am I doing this for the right reasons? Am I good enough? You're going to face that imposter syndrome, especially when I first started. because I didn't have experience of running a business. I was 22 years old or 23 years old. And yeah, I genuinely was, I guess, winging it in that sense and learning as I went. And I would say the things that gave me the confidence was understand, like really thinking about what I have achieved and what I would, want to achieve. Matt always said to me, he said something like, when you feel like quitting, think about why you started this in the first place. Have you achieved what you wanted to do? Have you reached all those kids that were you? That's why you started it. You started it so that you could make an impact. for the future. And I always think of things in 100 years. So for example, you can probably make an impact for 100 years and that's it really.

SPEAKER_01:

Because

SPEAKER_03:

further than that, it's very hard to make true impact unless you're, I don't know, Steve Jobs and have created the iPhone. And even then, 100 years is a long time.

SPEAKER_00:

I would say though, what you're creating, you've already started having a huge impact. And you're still young. You've only just started. And, you know, the work you've done around allergies and the products that you're producing and the education you're taking on, that will be having massive ripple effects all over the place. You know, there's no reason why someone shouldn't take up the baton once you've got to the end of your life with it. I don't mean your life generally, just your life with what you are doing in your work and your business. And someone else can pick that up and carry it on because you certainly help develop the conversation around allergies and the sort of things to be aware of all of that it's really really you've started doing that already

SPEAKER_03:

well we see so many more businesses have developed because of what we started and i think that's absolutely phenomenal like seeing other people create like we created a top 14 free category like yes we pioneered that yes and now to see more brands coming on board being top 14 eligible and also airlines so we are actually helping airlines to ban nuts which is it's going to be like huge shifts it's like for example when smoking was banned on a plane it was a huge shift

SPEAKER_00:

yes yes and that has improved the quality of our travel You know, in order, you're probably not old enough. I can remember travelling on airplanes when I used to smoke. It was horrible. I don't think

SPEAKER_03:

I've ever been on a plane.

SPEAKER_00:

It's not pleasant. You wouldn't want to go through that. But, you know, yes, banning nuts on airlines and on flights, huge one. And the fact that other organisations, other businesses are jumping on the bandwagon absolutely means you're onto a good thing that is making a difference here and is viable as a business too. This is fantastic. It's great to hear your story. So let's just move on to then about the time where your business actually took off, because I know that you secured a deal with Tesco and that was a real turning point moment. So can you tell us more about what happened?

SPEAKER_03:

Yes. When we first went into Tesco, it was such an exciting moment, I guess. But I guess we need to probably go back to just before we launched into Tesco. Okay. Which is probably the more interesting part where we were literally had, we didn't have any investment at that point. We were still bootstrapped and pretty much going to be spending the last bit of like big marketing budget, which was about£5,000 or whatever it was, on a show. called Natural and Organic Product Europe. It was a show that we had researched that was going to really help us get to the right buyers. We knew that they were going to be there, the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Ocado, all of them were going to be there. So we thought, this is where we need to be and where we need to pitch. And I hired a few people in and I said to them, pitch every single person like they are the next

SPEAKER_01:

Tesco.

SPEAKER_03:

And it was really interesting because some people will ask me, why waste your time with someone? And I always say, it's still important to talk to them because you don't know who they know. And being able to create that conversation in person is so important. And I think that's what a lot of people lost during COVID times was that conversation and being face to face with people. It can make such a difference. And I do advocate that as much as possible. zoom and everything is fantastic way to be able to to move things along quickly face to face also is very very important um anyway so we spent our marketing budget at that show and i thought we did well at the show uh we signed a few things we signed to ecardo at that show which was exciting right but we hadn't got like our big bricks and mortar store that we really wanted to get to be able to launch our product nationwide across the UK. Anyway, a week later, time had passed and I got a call from someone, a lady, and she said, hi, I'm Lauren, I'm calling you because I would like to launch your product. And I told you a little porcupine, I'm actually the buyer from Tesco and I couldn't believe it at the time jumping up and down in the office going yes this is amazing and she said yeah you need to you need to launch though I'm doing an event it's an exclusive event but it's in three weeks time and we need you to have all the new packaging not the old packaging the brand new one and I think she thought we were a lot bigger than we were. Bear in mind at the time it was just myself and Matt who was in the warehouse at the time. We didn't have a fulfillment company. We didn't have outsourced anything. It was literally us. So yeah, it was very, very difficult. Of course, she said, you need to commit to this and sign everything off. And of course I said, yes. I said, yep. yep figure it out later so jump off that cliff and build the plane on the way down

SPEAKER_00:

again a hugely courageous decision julia but when i

SPEAKER_03:

did make that decision i ran downstairs to matt who was in the warehouse packing and he said absolutely not call her back and tell her no we will never be able to deliver this at the time and i said no i'm not calling her we're going to find a way and we did together we built big excel spreadsheets times everything we had mums in dads in sisters like boyfriends every everything all the relatives all the friends and family everyone down this teeny little warehouse packing line packing and re-labeling hand labeling everything it was thousands and thousands and it was take it was taking us to like three in the morning every single day

SPEAKER_00:

where did that determination come from even in the face of matt who's your biggest supporter saying no you were absolutely determined where do you think that came from i

SPEAKER_03:

often ask myself these these questions and i i believe it's because It's gonna, maybe it sounds a bit silly, but I did, when I was nine, I was given, it was around three hours or four hours left to live, which I didn't know about. I was under, in an operation at the time. And when I came out of that operation, when I was told, oh, you won't be a ballet dancer, you won't be all of these things, I, the biggest thing for me was, will I be forgotten? Like, will anyone remember me? yes i i think from that point i wanted to do something and make enough impact that i wouldn't be forgotten yes i would be able to be remembered and also be remembered for doing something that was impactful and i know that sounds so silly for being aged nine at the time but i guess i felt like i had less time than other people yes i wanted to do all the cool things as well so do do all the like skydiving, all of that type of thing as well, but also create something.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes.

SPEAKER_03:

Would be there as my legacy as well, or something I'd be a part of. And I knew later on in life when I went into finance, actually doing that is never, I'm never going to be remembered for creating something bigger or being part of something bigger.

SPEAKER_00:

And did you believe this Tesco deal was it? Did that feel like it was it for you?

SPEAKER_03:

It felt like it was a pivotal moment. You're faced with an opportunity, but you're also faced with that opportunity, a barrier to be able to get that opportunity. I would say it's with opportunity, when one door closes, a window will open or something will happen. And we were told no by so many people for investment at that time. we then pitched, we then got through to the next stage, we then had a Tesco buyer call us and give us an opportunity. Why would I say no to that? Why wouldn't I give everything I possibly could to try and make that happen?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes,

SPEAKER_03:

yes. Big disclaimer here, obviously, if you don't have the foundation in place, it would be best to get the foundations in before you go ahead.

SPEAKER_00:

So you wouldn't necessarily recommend the way you did it to other people? I

SPEAKER_03:

wouldn't recommend it, but if you are between a rock and a hard place and you want to move that needle forward, you sometimes have to do those things that you... you think are impossible, like the word itself says possible. So there are ways, there are solutions.

SPEAKER_00:

It's just about finding them. Very good, very good. So I get a real sense that Creative Nature is a food brand. It's not just a food brand. It's actually an advocate for safety and for inclusion because it's about providing products that everyone can enjoy and it doesn't exclude those that have allergies because it's covering for those. How do you balance, because it's very, very purpose-driven, how do you balance commercial goals with your deeper purpose submission? Oh, that's a hard question. The reason I ask it is I've worked with lots of organisations and And they get very fixated on profit and margins. And then the human elements often get lost in that, which then definitely impacts the quality of the culture of the organisation. So I'm just curious about how you keep that balance, particularly when I talk to you, Julianne, and you are so purpose-driven. I

SPEAKER_03:

think it's about because it comes back to something that affects me. So naturally, whenever we're building... a business case out so for example say we want to make a decision of whether to supply an airline and they need obviously the lowest cost possible to make it work but we also need a sustainable profit margin it's about understanding that key thread of okay what what is my underlying goal here like is my underlying goal to make sure that everyone on board has safe product

SPEAKER_02:

Yes.

SPEAKER_03:

Or is my goal to just put the cheapest thing in market and make a profit?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes.

SPEAKER_03:

That's what the way of it is. You have to ask those hard questions.

SPEAKER_02:

And

SPEAKER_03:

sometimes your customers won't be willing to invest as well. Sometimes your customers will say to you, no, we can't take that. And that's okay. The product's not going to be for everyone. everyone. It's about finding your market. For example, there's a market for Howard's products, for example. It's a very niche market, but the people, Howard's have their brand and their brand is so valuable because they're not selling to everyone. because that is their premiumization that people want to have. And it's a sought after thing. So for us, what comes down to it is our core pillars. And if it doesn't align with our core pillars, why are we doing it? And that's how we make every single decision. So it is safety, trust in the consumer, no may contains, always top 14 allergen free. Are we being as sustainable as we possibly can? And the final one is about not allowing allergies to define anyone. So being able to have that fun element of You can take our product anywhere in the world and you're able to enjoy it.

SPEAKER_00:

Fantastic. That is so lovely. Oh, gosh, there's so many things I want to ask you. So let me just move on because you've done so much. And so the next thing I'm going to talk about is what was it like to influence the airline menus? I mean, you say you're moving along with potentially having airlines be nut free. But what's it been like so far influencing their menus?

SPEAKER_03:

Well, it's been a tough few years. But it's been fantastic to see some of the airlines that we've worked with, for example Virgin Atlantic, they were such pioneers for us to be able to launch a top 14 allergen free product on board, the first one. And we actually have two in their set currently where it's offered for free to passengers, which is such an incredible thing that you You don't have to worry about whether you're gluten free, nut free, dairy free. And they've actually banned all peanuts on board as well. So yes, they do serve tree nuts still, but peanuts at least has been a big step forward. EasyJet have already done a full nut ban, which is fantastic. And then you've got Iberia. We work with Iberia and our product we launched in their buy on board menu so that you can actually purchase it directly. But we worked with them on their whole customer journey to be able to help them understand people with allergies do want to fly they genuinely want to travel the world but they find it difficult and that itself is important like how do you get that market because they're so loyal once you once you've got a person with allergies flying with you or eating at your restaurant they're going to come back again and again

SPEAKER_01:

yeah

SPEAKER_03:

they've had a great experience Because I don't know if you know some of the stats, but one in 12 children now have a food allergy in the UK. And every three minutes, someone is rushed to the ER in the US having had a reaction to food.

SPEAKER_00:

Goodness me. Gosh, why do you think that is? Why is there such an increase? Or is it just that we're more aware? I think

SPEAKER_03:

there's better diagnosis at the moment, definitely from before. But also, I believe that there's... We are... we're constantly eating processed foods as well and our gut is so important and for example air travel is very cheap at the moment so when you've grown up and lived in one country when you move to another country your gut bio changes as well so i think this could have a really big um implication to allergies on the rise but Yeah, it is a problem out there at the moment. Yes,

SPEAKER_00:

yes. So it's a variety of reasons, but the reality is that they are on the rise and therefore more need for the types of products that you produce. And then what was it like speaking in Parliament and becoming Medic Alert's first ambassador in 65 years? I can't believe they didn't have an ambassador for 65 years. Well,

SPEAKER_03:

speaking at the Houses of Parliament was, like, it was just, It was something I would never have dreamed about. If you were told that the little girl sitting on the allergy table crying, that she would be talking to a group of people at Parliament about allergies and be at Downing Street, for example, and be invited by the Prime Minister, I genuinely would have just laughed and said, no way, that's not me, that can't be me. and it's such an incredible feeling and I do think I guess a lot of people say oh you're so lucky and the harder you work the luckier you seem to get at times it feels but I think for me it was also seeing my mum and dad like seeing oh gosh yes think oh wow she's she's creating something that's making a difference I think that was a big part for me. And my mum, especially, has always been so much full on education, education, education, education. So when I started my business, she was a bit like, oh, I'm not sure about this. Why didn't you stay in finance?

SPEAKER_01:

But

SPEAKER_03:

I mean, now I think she can see why. Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, you're absolutely a pioneer is what I'm hearing. That's why you get invited to do these things because you're pioneering where other people haven't. And there are other people following you now. You're a real trailblazer.

SPEAKER_03:

That's the hope. The hope is that we can create a better world for everyone with allergies.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. Fantastic. So along this amazing journey, Julianne, what have you learned about leadership and being a leader?

SPEAKER_03:

I've learned that leaders get things wrong. I think that's a very important part to sort of, I guess, take in and it's okay to get things wrong. I think that's the important. A lot of other women in business go, how do you deal with the mistakes? How do you manage to overcome them? And it's about not letting them sweep under the rug it's about sweating the small stuff so when you get something wrong go back over it learn from it instead of you getting frustrated with it okay well how could I have done that better how should I have reacted is there a way that is a How can we compromise and get to the outcome we both want to get through? How do you create that culture across the business, especially when you're a growing business? And I think it's about every single person being accountable. No job is more important than the other, from the warehouse to the operations to the supply chain to marketing, sales, to see yes every job is important because without that person and without that ambition and drive and care then

SPEAKER_00:

yes

SPEAKER_03:

it makes all the other parts full so I think it's really really important that we as a leader you you're able to understand each role and My team will say, well, I've done every single role in this business at some point. I've got palettes, I've packed boxes, I've stuck stickers on labels, I've done Excel spreadsheets, I've got on Instagram Lives. Every single role I've done at some point. And being able to understand and appreciate what others are doing, I think, is really, really important.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, fantastic. So I really hear a sense of, first of all, being willing to own up and be vulnerable if you need to be by owning the mistakes that you might make and also doing the reflection to learn more. and grow from that from those but also i love what you say about sort of equal value everyone has equal value and in the way that they contribute to the organization and making sure that people appreciate that and hear that and feel that um and how you show up as the leader is is at the center of that really

SPEAKER_03:

yeah unfortunately as a leader you do have to be very positive a lot of the time and it can I think that's the one thing I guess entrepreneurs don't really have and there's a lot of mental health awareness for people in general but entrepreneurs in particular I think they do struggle with burnout and I think they struggle with not switching off and I'm a big culprit for it. My other half says I don't have any type of balance in life at all.

SPEAKER_00:

But how do you take care of yourself then and make sure you don't burn out?

SPEAKER_03:

Some people would say I have a very, I guess, toxic relationship with work, but I think that's only how you view it as well. I think it is important to take breaks and I do try and at least get one big, big break a year. So I try and take a two week holiday and that's sort of my reset of where I am. I do work throughout that holiday, which Matt gets a little bit, oh, why do you have to work throughout that holiday? But it enables me to think and think about working on the business rather than just in the business.

SPEAKER_00:

In the business. And do you take time off? Do you have weekends? I

SPEAKER_03:

don't have full weekends. I do work throughout the weekends, but I find I'm able to catch up with a lot of things and sort of things that maybe would have been too difficult to do while in the office. It enables me to do those things. But I guess my balance for me is things that I love to do things that push me outside my comfort zone. I love, and I love all of the progress that I, whenever we're making progress in the business, that's something that I thrive on. And I don't think that's a toxic relationship. I think that's a more, well, actually, would I rather be sitting at home watching TV or actually would I rather be doing this? And the answer is, I would rather be doing this because that's what I enjoy doing.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. And I get how meaningful that is and how it ties in with your mission and your purpose. Do you have an activity that takes you away from it completely where you just can forget about it? I don't

SPEAKER_03:

forget, actually. It probably makes me think more, but it makes me think well and more structured. Or it brings back things that I might have forgotten about. And I do Zumba. Zumba, I find, is a really... I used to love to dance. I wanted to be a ballet dancer when I was a child. And Zumba is just, or any type of dance, is my outlet of... I enjoy it. I used to love figure skating as well. So those type of things. I can just be me on my own. I try to not do Zumba with classes as well. I'll do it... I'm on my own in the house and so that I can clear my head. Okay. And I do recommend that to other people because some people feel very conscious being in the class or being with other people at the gym. Nowadays, with the technology, you don't have to. You can have your peace of mind, your little moment that you need.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. So that's one way of kind of switching it all off, even though it also contributes something to you as well when it comes to what you're thinking about for work. These are just really fantastic answers. I'm loving what you're sharing here. So I'm going to sort of move on then to sort of concluding because you've shared so much I'm going to invite you to share with us what advice would you give to someone who feels underestimated or underrepresented because I feel like your journey you have absolutely taken the bull by the horns and created what you've created despite you know being sat on the separate table navigating bias in the funding meetings all those sorts of things what advice would you pass on to someone who is in that minority and feeling underestimated and underrepresented

SPEAKER_03:

I would say take one step at a time one write your list out and in your list choose be really specific with things that you want to achieve on your list for the day I'm not talking about your long-term goals I'm talking about what you want to achieve just for that day and it might be yes you need to I don't know, to move the business forward, you need to get a new partner on board, so you need to speak to 10 partners to be able to do that. It's a tangible action and you will feel that sense of, your imposter syndrome can come in, you're going to feel like you can't do it, you can't speak to that many people. Just pick up the phone, make that call, speak to someone.

SPEAKER_00:

Ignore your imposter is what I'm hearing as well.

SPEAKER_03:

Ignore your imposter. Just take that one step. Once you take that one step, you will find it even easier to take the next step and then the next step. And each step will become less of a, oh my gosh, I can't do it. It's, oh no, I think I actually can. All of those steps build up. And I find that that really does help me when I do feel... underrepresented at all I feel like I'm being pushed back by someone I think well actually I've got all these steps that I've taken over the years that I don't feel as scared anymore and and we've all been there every single journey someone has to take that first step they have

SPEAKER_01:

to yes

SPEAKER_03:

and yes whether you're you're starting from scratch and going into a new career or yes Learning about a new client for the first time. We're all scared. We all have doubts. But the person that doesn't try is going to miss 100% of those shots that they didn't take.

SPEAKER_00:

Very, very good advice. Thank you so much. And what's next for you and for Creative Nature? Next,

SPEAKER_03:

we have a very, very exciting launch coming up in October. Something that is going to be phenomenal. A first of its kind. I'm really excited to be able to launch this product with a partner. So we'll watch this space for that.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, indeed, I'm intrigued.

SPEAKER_03:

And then on top of that, we also have just launched our brand new kids range into Tesco's, which is really exciting because for me, being that child who didn't have snacks at school and had really boring things made by mum. Mum, don't get annoyed at me, but having something that was always homemade rather than having cool snack, it's just going to make such a difference. And we've launched into over 510 Tesco stores with these two kids snack bar multipacks. So that's a really big thing for us. And yeah, I guess it's all about making more impact for people with allergies and we we slowly are um one step at a time

SPEAKER_00:

fantastic and if people want to connect with you where's the best place for them to connect with you uh

SPEAKER_03:

connect with me on instagram at julianne ponan or follow creative nature um and also you can get our website which is www.creativenaturesuperfoods.co.uk

SPEAKER_00:

julianne thank you so so much for such an enlightening conversation

SPEAKER_03:

well thank you i've enjoyed it and i cannot i hopefully matt can come on next time and tell you how we work together as a couple because he's phenomenal and he's made logistics and supply chain

SPEAKER_00:

amazing I definitely think for season two we'll have him on and it'd be good it's a bit like Mr and Mrs isn't it maybe we should have done a quiz at the

SPEAKER_01:

end

SPEAKER_00:

Maybe for another time. But thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you so much for listening to the She Leads Collective podcast. If this episode resonated with you, follow the show or share it with a friend and leave a quick review below or leave us a comment. Change happens through conversation. So let's keep this one going. Listen out for the next episode and join me as we keep lifting the lid on the stories that matter. Take care and keep leading with heart.

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Mary Gregory

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