WHAT THEY SAY
WHAT THEY SAY is a podcast by THEY SAY STUDIOS, hosted by co-founders Amy-Lee Cowey-Small and Jessica Ashman, two women building a creative and digital world on their own terms. It is where work meets real life - motherhood and ambition, friendship and business, burnout and belief - with honest, funny, thoughtful conversations between Amy, Jess and their guests, from founders and creatives to leaders rewriting the rules, about what it really takes to build something you love and stay (mostly) sane.
WHAT THEY SAY
WHAT THEY SAY about redefining success with Nnenna Onuba
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After 17 years in investment banking with firms including Rothschild and PwC, Nnenna walked away from corporate life to build a business rooted in balance. Today, she wears many hats as a founder, angel investor, board director and advocate for inclusive leadership. But this isn't just a conversation about entrepreneurship. It's about knowing when to take the leap, building a career that reflects your values and challenging the traditional definition of success.
Together, they get into:
• Why entrepreneurship isn't as glamorous as social media makes it look
• The importance of side hustling before taking the leap
• Why the future of leadership depends on the skills we've labelled as "soft"
• What financial freedom really means and why money creates choice
• Why managing your energy matters more than managing your time
Plus, Nnenna jumps into our They Say / We Say quickfire, sharing her thoughts on the biggest career myths, leadership clichés and the advice women need to stop listening to.
WHAT THEY SAY is the podcast from THEY SAY Studios, where creative meets digital, work meets real life, and there's always a bit of chaos. Made for women building big lives, not just big careers, and for anyone redefining success on their own terms.
I believe in finding what makes you unique and understanding that and communicating that clearly because everybody has their story for you. And one of the things I learned to do early, I don't know where I learned that from, was to own my story and tell it. So I don't let people put their own narrative on me.
SPEAKER_04Welcome to What They Say, the podcast where creative meets digital, work meets real life, and there's always a bit of chaos. Hosted by me, EL, and me, Jess. Best friends, business partners, and co-founders of They Say Studios. Each episode mixes unfiltered conversation, cultural insight, and the kind of laughter that comes from knowing that you're not the only one figuring it out.
SPEAKER_05Hi Jess! Hello. How are you, my darling? I'm good. You look fantastic. Do I? Yeah? I feel like I'm a bit tired. Like my eyes are a bit tired.
SPEAKER_04What do we do when someone draws a compliment?
SPEAKER_05Thank you.
SPEAKER_04You're so welcome. You're so welcome. Thank you. You know where it starts. I do. Talk to me about your chaos for the week.
SPEAKER_05I actually had to think about my chaos because I think I don't know. Well, that's a good sign. Well, it's always a bit of chaos in our household with kids. Like they're yeah, two and four. And it's just like every day is different.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, every day is chaos.
SPEAKER_05I don't want to like talk about it too much. As in, don't want it to always be about them. That's your chaos, that's your chaos. Kids do rock my world sometimes. So yeah. If I've ever got a sleepless night, that is yeah, that affects all of us. Or if there's a cold or something, and it's a full thing. Yeah, I feel like there's a chaotic sleep pattern this week. And that's maybe why I'm feeling just a bit tired. So it's not chaos as in the city. Well, what I'm seeing is a very glowy gorge gal, so Oh, thank you. That makes me feel better. Yeah, you look fantastic. And what about your calm? My calm, actually, I went to go. I had a voucher. Tell me more. I had a voucher to get a um it was like a head massage. A milk bath treatment. No, it was like a I don't know what it was because I didn't go for that.
unknownRight?
SPEAKER_05That probably was not the cream cream bath, that's it. Like where, yeah, they were doing something, but I was like, actually, I just want to get my roots done. So can I just exchange this voucher to get my roots done? They're like, Yeah, that's fine. Which is a very un-Singapore thing, very unsingapore, because like computer says no, everything. Usually it's computer says no, like you're getting a voucher, you've got a voucher for this. That is the voucher you're getting. That's what you're that's the treatment you're getting, whether you like it or not. So I was very happy to massage, it's what you paid for. I was very happy to get my roots done on that. And off the back of that, I'd already uh book the time off work, as in book the morning, to be like, sorry, I'm out, because you know it's hard. Sometimes you can be in a hair selling, you can be on all the calls, all that. Sometimes you just can't. So I just thought easier to just be like, I'm out this morning because I'm actually made that space for myself, but then also got loads of work done because no one was messaging me. So I was like, that's like one of them. That's you feel super powerful and then you're like I wasn't even gonna do anything. I've won. Yeah, for like two hours. But actually, I did loads. You just like with my calm that I felt really like love. So, yeah, what about yours? Do you want to start with chaos or do you want to start with calm?
SPEAKER_04I'll start with the chaos. The chaos was that I had um some cysts removed. Oh my god, you did from the head, which no one will be able to see because they're very well hidden under the hair. But I had four sisters removed from my head. Yeah, that's yeah, a lot. It was a lot. I totally didn't. Maybe in me went straight in. Jonathan wasn't with me. The derm was like, okay, da-da-da. If you like, I can remove them now. I was like, yeah, get them all out. Jonathan was like, whoa, that wow, okay. But you know, I'm just like, it has to happen. She's given me the option, Spanish healthcare, fantastic. And I went and I just hadn't thought it through, and she had to pull hair out, and I could just see it landing, and there was like injections, and it was a lot of pre-warn you to be like, it's gonna be No, no, and it's probably best they didn't. So I was in there for 50 minutes and it was quite intense. Um stitches, the lot. So it's been a lot, and I did not feel good. I was gonna say, also the recovery, I think. Yeah, it was quite brutal. And then I thought, well, actually, it's a little bit like splitting your head open, but four times, yeah, all hailing at the same time. Oh, I've done that. Yeah, but I'm all right. And and the um the results of the biopsy and thing were all negative. So, all as in like everything was fine. That's the main thing. But get any cysts, get them checked. Get them gemed. And also, this is not a health podcast, we must flag that, but I think we can all agree if there's something a bit you should get them checked. Because one, this one was growing really quickly. Apparently, just completely genetic can happen, just they're just they're called pilasis, they're just like cysts that happen. So I've got a little one on my wrist. Sometimes you just get them, but really, yeah.
SPEAKER_05What I was gonna say is though, you have to book the time not only to get them done, obviously, but there is a recovery time, I imagine.
SPEAKER_04There is lesson learned, you don't go back to work the same afternoon. Yeah, because that was I did not think that through at all. Especially when you're like anaesthetic and it was a lot, yeah. But no, I feel good. Um and my palm for the week, oh, I went to a floor tank. Have you ever done that? I love a float tank. Do you? Yeah. Have you been the one in Singapore? What's it called? Yes, Palm Palm Something Club.
unknownPalm.
SPEAKER_04Something about palms, yeah. Lovely. And they do the little tea afterwards in the books and I love them. I completely forgot they even existed. So good. I think most people, if you have claustrophobia, do not bother, would probably be hell on earth. But if you like the idea of floating in a dark big egg naked, naked in water, like a big old baby in the room, then it's like, then I would suggest you do it. And it's actually the 60 minutes, and I always go no music. So I can literally hear me heartbeat. It's again, I mean, it might not be for you, but I loved it and it's very, I have quite a visceral reaction. It would have feel like I'm floating through space.
SPEAKER_05That's exactly how I feel. Because you would just want it so cool. Like, how do you ever you have to relax enough to be able to You must because if you start panicking and splashing around, it's not as relaxed as yeah, babe. So I've had a lovely time. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04So that's my wake. Oh my god, I'm gonna I want a voucher for that next. Fine, and you cannot trade an infrared hairdo or some more stenness. Hint, hint, nudge, nudge. I would like today. We're joined by Nene Onuba. Have I said that right? You've said it. An MA banker, turned beauty innovator, investor, advisor. I've probably missed some stuff out of there.
SPEAKER_00It's all good, it's all good. There's a lot in there already.
SPEAKER_04So 17 years in finance working with firms like Rothschild and PwC. You traded boardrooms for balance, or so it may say on the outside. Found an LBB, or award-winning active wellness brand, built on the idea that life is beautiful in balance. We've talked about this a lot, actually, today. So, like this is very poignant. Um, it's built a loyal foll following and redefined what modern beauty looks like. Sustainable, big one, intelligent, and created for women who are balancing big lives and even bigger ambitions. Another big topic of today. Beyond beauty, though, you're also known for your leadership work, which is where I met you um in your incredible platform and business 100 allies, which I really want to spend some time focusing on today, which is all around creating accountability and action around equity and inclusion in the workplace. And it's something that we are really passionate about at this say. And it's one of the reasons that we love working with you guys. So, Nena, welcome to what they say. Thank you.
SPEAKER_00Thank you.
SPEAKER_04Can we start at the beginning? So, like before we go, I want to kind of connect these two worlds that don't often meet, like high finance and high purpose. It's all about like this calm, soft power, credibility, and the reality of moving with quiet confidence in industries that are not often built for women and women of colour. So if you were a blurb and we were just talking about this on the back of a book, what's Nena? What who are you? What's the life story so far?
SPEAKER_00Start with the early days, I think. Um, this is exciting, exciting. Who's Nena? Um, Nana's just this. I still think of myself very much. No, no, I know all that. But um, I still think of myself as the younger me, because I'm 45 now. Um, but I came to the UK, age 17, full of dreams and adventure. I got a scholarship. Um, and it was such an exciting, exciting uh experience for me. And I think I was hungry for adventure and to live my fullest life. I came on a scholarship, and I think that beginning path of just luck, opportunity. I never dreamed that I would come here. I never, it was not on my cards uh to come from you know Nigeria and Africa to the UK and then you know go through a very, I'd say, privileged path, because I went to some great schools and I have, you know, best in class education. And I think that when we come back to what I do and how I think about my work, about seven years ago, I decided to sort of give up the whole corporate. I you already mentioned it, right? I spent 14 years in investment banking at, you know, I became quite senior at uh Rothschild, which is one of the best houses for doing merch and acquisitions. Um, but I decided that actually I wanted to use more of my left brain. I wanted to explore a little bit, make space for little girl Nena and her dreams and adventures, and actually what the world of work looks like when it starts to fit around what matters to me. So today I work in a very portfolio fashion. I think of it like a balanced diet plate where I have a little bit of everything that makes my world of work beautiful. And 100 allies is one small part of it, but an important part because I'd say that that's like my dessert. It makes me incredibly happy. It fills the plate up. But um alongside that I do many other things, and I'm sure we'll come onto it. But in a nutshell, I'm I'm living, I'm literally right now living my work dream. Oh no! So on this plate, where's the spice? Where's the chili and the spice? Oh god, I'm very spiritual. Yes, I flow it where my energy is, so of course I've got to make money, right? So my bread and butter, and where I, you know, the skills I've built is finance. Um, and not just finance, but I call it now strategic growth, which is because mergers and acquisitions, which is buying and selling businesses, is the way a lot of big brands and big businesses almost supercharge growth. You can just buy something that fits into your portfolio, solves a problem, etc. But even though that is very transactional, but it's part of a bigger picture, which is as a corporate, how do I create value? How do I? Um, and so that's really where I make my money. And it along the way, I sold businesses, which is what I do. Um, even when I invest in businesses, so I become almost a business friend because I've I came into beauty and I wanted to start from the beginning, right? I could have walked into or tried anyway. Um actually I did, but I didn't get the job. I could have walked in right into a corporate role, but I kind of know where I get my confidence from. Um uh I'm very confident, but I get it from competence, right? I can't fake, I don't know how to I don't know how to fake anything. I've got to feel like I'm good at it and I can deliver. Um, and I thought, how cool would it be to actually learn about the industry from the ground up? And that's why I launched LBB. And there is no bigger lesson. A bigger lesson. I gave all my like business knowledge and background, and starting a beauty brand is a whole new kettle of fish. But I learned and then very quickly, you know, uh it evolved, and maybe we'll get into that. Um, but I started investing, and I think as an investor, I actually found that I added more value uh than just being sort of the marketer or the you know, the founder of the brand because it was much more strategic, it allowed me to use the lessons I learned, but also the network. So I'm one of the things I'm very good at is people. I I form relationships well, I'm curious about people, so it does connect. And I've continued to just parlay that into wherever it takes me. Right now, I'm starting a whole new venture that I think will come out in full force in uh the new year, but again, it's all born from this journey. Every step I take, I learn something, and it continues to. I don't know why people don't think about their world of work in this way, where we're continuing building skills. The base finance skills I've had have been improved by being an entrepreneur. I have a much deeper understanding of that perspective. It hasn't taken away the old skills, they still exist. It's incremental, exactly, and it just allows me to communicate with a wider lens of stakeholders, but also think about problems because it's problem solving at the end of the day. And that's people don't often talk about corporate finance creatively, but it is creative, right? Um, and it allows me, it gives me a bigger toolkit in my box, but it allows me to mold into different rooms because I've gone away from being an advisor, which is where I spent the majority of my career, into being an operator. I can go into businesses and say, hey guys, this is actually marketing. This is that. I don't claim to be an expert, but at least I can go much further on the thinking of the solution before you then bring in the right person in the room, if that makes sense. So I become a great generalist of that call, if I can call it.
SPEAKER_04We love a generalist, we've talked about this yeah, on our Instagram, actually, about the power of a generalist because it this and there's a need for it. I want to go back a little bit, because and we're gonna cover everything, about sort of credibility. And you mentioned here that a scholar, what scholarship was it? Um it was a performance.
SPEAKER_00It was a no, no, it wasn't like a big scholarship you could attend. Um, I was very fortunate in my family, extended family, and they just saw I went to a very gifted school, and it just so happened that at the time I was supposed to be going into university, there was a strike in Nigeria, and I was out of school for like two years. And it was ridiculous because all the schools were shut. All the schools were shut. I was supposed to go to university in Nigeria, and all the schools were shut, and there was this wonderful opportunity of a great philanthropist who's just like, look, we have a need in the UK, our kids are going to be going there. It'd be so cool to have someone support us on this experience. If you come along with us and support help us with this, uh, we will pay for your education. And I was like, fuck yeah. And so it was, it was okay, it was it was like a no-brainer, and that was how my entire world was changed. Literally, when I say my entire world was changed like that, like that, like that. Um, I don't pretend I came from an incredible, you know, family. Education was important. My father, who's passed on now. Um, I have I'm one of five kids. There are four girls, but he was a big believer in educating women and that education would could change outcomes, right? So I grew up in that sort of household where we're educated to like here. So that's also what opened opportunities because like literally when I came here, I went to Imperial College in London. Um, and I still remember my benefactor, which is what I call him, um, and he just said, No, no, if you get into Imperial, I'll pay for it. Like that simple. And I don't know if you guys know how today the fees are ridiculous, but I graduated, I started at uni in 1999. Um, and back then I still remember my fees were 11,000 a year. Just just tuition. So we're not talking about a couple of years.
SPEAKER_04So that's really a couple.
SPEAKER_01How fortunate is that? Incredible.
SPEAKER_04You see, you you it's interesting that you use the word lucky a few times, and it I would argue that's not luck, is it? There's you also had to be the person you are.
SPEAKER_00But there is luck in it, you know, even when you think about um the family you're born into is luck, right? Because it's all of those, and that's what I say. Of course, of course, you know, I think um one of the expressions I like is success is where preparation meets opportunity. Um, you've got to do your own bit. But to sit here and say, Oh, I manufacture, I was lucky. That opportunity may never have come. It didn't happen to lots of people, so it was great. Of course, it happened because it was, I believe. You've done the right thing. I'm ordained as well. I'm I'm African, we have a lot of rural. I was speaking to my mum sister recently, and we're talking about this whole um luck concept, and she was like, We have I'm Ibo. Um, I don't know if you've ever read any Chimamando books, Half a Yellow Sun, or any of okay, she writes a lot about.
SPEAKER_04Well, please send us some because we're starting a baby boo club, which we talked about on the last one.
SPEAKER_00She has, she's an incredible, incredible author. If you look her up, you'll and also a great feminist. She was quoted in Beyonce's songs and many others, and Michelle Obama, lots of people have quoted her, but that's not the point of the story. Um, in ego culture, um, it's believed that when a child is born, a child's future is already mapped out. You're it's preordained, and so there's very little. Of course, you have to walk the walk, go on the path, but it's ordained. So what is in your cards is yours. And that mindset stays with me. So I tend not to, you'll see this. Of course, I get stressy about things, but I tend not to sweat a lot of small stuff. Small stuff. Um, and also I'm a very cup half full. I really believe in abundance. I don't believe, I think what's mine is mine, and so I can celebrate others, I can plant seeds that expand instead of thinking of this zero-sum game that I just annoys the hell out of me. But I've also importantly experienced a lot of luck in my own life that makes me realize that karma is real. I love that.
SPEAKER_04I'm very spiritual too. So anything like this. One thing that I wanted to touch about was the credibility, because obviously you talk about the spirituality, and within that is masculine and feminine energy, right? And I would imagine, and I want you to correct me if I'm wrong, because that's what this conversation is for. I would imagine that being in Rothschild and the big sort of corporate banking situations, that it's heavily male dominated, or was at the time, if not still is. Is that a fair assumption? Absolutely. Yes. So with that in mind, bringing you in, how did you build credibility in this space? Um and I think a bit of context to give you, Nana, as you answer that question, is listening to this podcast and our key audiences women, entrepreneurs or want to be entrepreneurs, or really senior women that are already in a great career but are like, what next?
SPEAKER_00It's always easy after things have happened for you to tell a nice story of the world. Yeah, hindsight is a wonderful story. Exactly, exactly. And the reality is I needed to feel my way through. So, like I said, from day dot, I've been ambitious. I grew up in a household where I was drilled into me that I could have anything I wanted. I went to a school that continued to affirm that. So I didn't grow up here in the UK. I grew up in the Niger in Nigeria until 17, where a lot of people looked like me. So I, you know, I felt very, I had a very strong sense of self and belonging. So coming to the UK, I really came in with that sort of mindset. Um uh Rothschild PwC, it was a no-brainer. I was one of in fact, I think at the time I was there, I was the only woman of colour in a front office role when I started. It didn't, you know, by the time I moved through, I was at Rothschild, I was at PWC for four years, Rothschild for 10. Um, and by the time I got through, you know me, lots of people, the gate was wider. So lots, lots came in. However, what helped me to thrive, and I would say is I managed to, I believe in finding what makes you unique and understanding that and communicating that clearly because everybody has their story for you. And one of the things I learned to do early, I don't know where I learned that from, was to own my story and tell it. So I don't let people put their own narrative on me. Um, so that was the second was in the across difference. I was different, but I think again, that's why I told the story of where I grew up. I came here knowing I was different. So that wasn't an issue for me when somebody would touch my hair or whatever. I was like, yeah, of course, you know, I'm Nigerian. There's so much about my culture you don't understand in the same way as like a sponge. I want to understand yours. And the privilege of not having, you know, grown up as a child who was bullied or, you know, almost uh mine as a minority, you were reminded constantly, was a privilege, and now I understand that that I had that allowed me to, I would say, navigate those rooms a little because I was just easier to get on with, whether you like it or not. I was just more likable. And the other thing I would say is as I'm really like a yes person in my junior years, I just put my hands up for like everything. However, as I started to progress, right? Growth. You're looking for growth, where's it gonna come from? And this is where the masculine versus feminine angle started to come through. I was like, this is interesting. As a person, I believe in kindness, I believe in listening to people. I'm again all of those feminine leaders. Like team, cohesion, etc. Um, and that wasn't the I would say ethos. It was very much get shit done. Like it was, it was very um much more, it was it's a very ambitious space, and there's nothing wrong with that, but there was less of that. So I had to in some way navigate uh that that and also teach, I think, um, those uh sectors, but it wasn't what was valued in the same way. And that's actually one of the things that made me almost seek another path because I was like, it's great. Uh, having done it for almost 14 years, I think I'd proven a lot about who I am, what I can do, etc. But I also got lucky because it was in this looking for my path of where am I going to rise in this organization that I became an entrepreneur. I realized that. Um, I worked in sort of infrastructure asset classes, so I sold lots of toll roads, I've sold uh renewable energy plants in Africa, I've sold real estate assets, King's Cross Canary War for all projects that I was heavily involved in. Um, however, uh what I what I realized was like what is uniquely mine, back to that thing I said, and I said, I'm Nigerian African, not many people are that. And at the time I noticed that there was a lot of capital being raised in London, actually, because London's very central um in that way to invest on the continent. And that was when I started scouting. If you don't mind, I'm going to share. Tell me if I'm telling me if I'm I'm I'm talking uh too much. But and I started to scout, and I realized that actually in the firm that we were doing a lot of work, but it was random. Nobody had organized or joined the dots. And I managed to position myself as the specialist on all of these projects, and that's how I made the case. And I made the case to exco like any other um founder who's pitching on this is a total addressable market, blah, blah, blah. Literally. Um, and I was allowed to go off. And so one of the in most entrepreneurial things I did was actually open up Rothschild in uh sub-Saharan Africa, outside of South Africa where we already had a business. But that's also where I learned something that I think was very important to making the move. I suddenly realized that of course it's so important, and I don't take it for granted having big brands behind you, right? Because that's how the world and society digests who are you? Are you good? Are you where do I place you on the thing? So it's important. However, when I was out doing all of that work, I realized that I'm the asset. It gave me the kind, you know, in terms of building relationships, opening up opportunities, and actually advancing conversations, but it allowed me to also see a different world where I on innovation and I was like, I wow, you know, this is way more exciting for me in terms of where I want to be. I'm I don't know if you guys are familiar with um uh I'm more of a challenger, a disruptor. I'm I'm not a stasis status quo acceptor. It's like, why is it like this? Can it be better? Can it work?
SPEAKER_04You know, you want to kind of pull it apart and rebuild it a bit.
SPEAKER_00My that's mine, but that's also why entrepreneurship, I think, works well for me. But that was almost the first taster of okay, this is fun, but what can I do with this? And I came into beauty because you guys might not know this, but whilst I was at university, um, age 19, um, one of my Saturday jobs, um, or rather, my Saturday job was as a boots girl on the retail shop floor. Love it. Um I earned 50 pounds, spent it all before I left the school. My my math and money management got better, but I still remember to this day. I know, I know, right? I'm not saying it's gonna be mine. That's all right. There's a really great staff discount. Um, but that was it was almost I allowed myself. I allowed myself, and I'll take a break uh because I I can give you my life story here, but I allowed myself, but also because I'd also built um savings and margins and like cushion uh to allow myself go on this next journey and chapter I'm on, which is what does my my work life of my dreams, because I'm someone who will always work. I really, it's just you can't you can't, I can't stop that. And so I just want to work on stuff I love. I can confess to that.
SPEAKER_04That is sometimes I mean I don't know where I'm gonna find Nella or who should be with or where should we host a panel, or but it you you are, you've got your fingers and a lot of pies.
SPEAKER_05I think as well, just from your stories, you you've always had from what it sounds, you had a sense of clarity in yourself and your strengths and what your, you know, your differences or your superpower in a way. So you could lean into that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I would say that that's come over time. I'm very analytic. So I go back and I look for patterns and things, and so I really that curiosity I realize is actually the superpower, and that's what revealed to me that actually the biggest strength, and I say this repeatedly when I counsel, mentor, or talk to people, it's like I think the biggest strength you have is knowing who you are. Yeah. Because that's the only way you can start to actually tackle a world, especially if it wasn't built for you, uh, which is what we find increasingly if you're an ambitious woman and you're trying to like, you know, chart your own path. And if you understand who you are, at least you can own that bit. And confid that's confidence, actually. Um, I think, and it's so important.
SPEAKER_05And do you feel a responsibility in sort of sharing that? And you know, when you're mentoring. Um, I I share what I what helps me.
SPEAKER_00Let's put it that way. I don't know about the responsibility bit, but I share what helps me. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05I mean, that's we're having these conversations helps, doesn't it? Because it's even if someone can hear something that they can relate to or resonates with them. They go, oh, hang on a minute, yeah. This maybe I could do it too.
SPEAKER_04From Eminem to modern beauty, Nena, you've sort of touched on this beautiful. Well, sounds like a transition, but actually, there's the boots girl at heart that was there spending her Saturday wages in, you know, probably what, Bobby Brown and whatnot. Um Ruby and Millie. Ruby and Millie. Oh, yeah. I remember that. That's crazy.
SPEAKER_01They're not around now, are they? No, they're done.
SPEAKER_00But what is funny is 19-year-old me, because this is one of the first sort of affordable um but also inclusive brands that existed back then.
SPEAKER_01And today I sit on the board of the British Beauty Council with Millie, with one half of Brevium Millie, and I tell her it's like, my goodness, like the 19-year-old means like baller.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I mean, you you you you do have a powerful CV. Do you sit on several boards, right? Oh, yes, yes, I do. I do. Any, can you talk about them all?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, it's only, it's not, it's not many. Uh, so British Beauty Council, I'm like a company's house director on there. Um, I also do work with the Royal Veterinary Uh College, it's a university for vets, and it's it's incredible. Um, and uh Cheltenham Ladies Uh College, it's a girls independent school. But again, it's things I care about because these are all non-profits, right? So beauty is a no-brainer, it's where I live and work. Uh pets, so I'm very passionate about supporting the vulnerable. I don't know why. And animal care is important, and you know, again, young girls, so there really is a pattern to everything I do.
SPEAKER_05In your life, building LBB, how do you, you know, how do you navigate?
SPEAKER_00LBB has evolved. I now think of how I work actually as a studio, but how do I navigate? Oh, honestly, I can't say it enough. Understanding and it understanding me. I know I've heard lots of balanced when I say understanding me, a lot of people talk about time management, etc. One of my beliefs is energy, right? Because I'm really an energy person. If I'm drained, there's nothing else to pour out of. So I become almost like really, really, really observant about where I get energy from and what drains it. So it was actually a practice that I would say I double down on during COVID, because during COVID, I became a lot more intentional and observing. Like I had notes, like I think I did this experiment for about two weeks where I was like, okay, I'm going to watch every conversation, every interaction I have in this period and record it. Like it was literally just a smiley face, like series of smiley faces in my notebook of what does this do? Up down, and I started to see patterns. Um, but so you talk about the balance, and what I realized is that's why I talked about my work like a bind. So I of course the stuff that pays me, I prioritize, right? I I wanna I wanna live a great life. Um, however, I put other things that I need, and when my I'm tired. So I'll give you an example. Thursday was a good example this week. I'd worked Saturday, most of Sunday, and by the time I got to Thursday, I was depleted. I was so tired. Um, I was so tired, and I was like, okay, one of the deals I made in this whole portfolio career thing is that I can take time off if I need to. And I sent a message to my girlfriend and said, today is a no work day. Can we please go and see some art and have lunch and catch up? I haven't spoken to you in ages, and that was how I spent the day. And I came back home and a bath all day and like literally no work. Yeah, no work that day. So when you talk about balance, it's I I watch her. I try not to get to that point where I'm completely, completely at the bottom of it.
SPEAKER_04What I'm getting from that nana is like a very what I love is simple, actionable things. And that is something that I can genuinely say myself doing, just a little smiley face or like, you know, whichever one works for whatever meetings you've got in the week, and being able to walk away.
SPEAKER_05And we talk often about the power of working for yourself, and it's flipping hard, but I think I think having that self-awareness as well, that actually people talk about your social battery going down, but you don't necessarily talk about your work battery going down, and actually you can overdo it. And sometimes you do need the chance, you're just looking around a gallery. I did it yesterday, just before you came out. I've got 15 minutes, I'm just gonna get some culture, and just was like, Oh, I instantly felt better. Because, you know, you need something else sometimes. It can't all be go, go, go. And it might be that, you know, you know that you work better in the evenings, or you know you work better in the mornings. Do your balance your day in that, you know, or organise your day in that sense as well.
SPEAKER_00This is why I I'm gonna come back to it. I think more people need to spend time intentionally actually looking for the patterns in their own lives. What I described with that, I started to see, I was like, ah, okay, conversations. This conversation when I speak to this person, I always feel really down. Um that it's like tops up my battery. There's some things I know, right? So I'm uh I call myself a high functioning introvert. Lots of people see me. I'm full of most times, actually, I'm the one who energizes rooms. I have a lot of energy and I'm passionate and I'm friendly and I'm whatever. I mean, you can see me on a different day when I'm like running low. It's just the same thing. I've never seen that yet. But I recharge, I recharge, you know, before putting myself out again. But I think that ability of knowing, because then you can start to be more intentional in how you're designing. So when you talk about this balance thing, rather than it being something that happens to you, of course, we don't control everything that happens to us, right? So you've still got to build resilience, adaptability, all of that stuff, because shit will happen. Um, but I think it just allows you to be a little bit more. So I can, for example, I can, you know, my spidey sensors tingle when it's like, oh, this is a boundary moment. Nope. I'm not this is definitely a no to this one.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um and you see what I mean. But those are the ways that you conserve and manage energy. And sometimes, whether you like it or not, right, uh, you need to give energy to things, right? If you have a big project and an important client is paying you, you'll stretch to meet that. I'm not a mother, so I can't talk about those dynamics. But I imagine if you are, there are times when you've got to be there for that and you juggle whatever to make it work.
SPEAKER_05You're surviving by the end, but you just you just gotta put it all in because you can't go, today's not the day, darling.
SPEAKER_00But this is why I say life is beautiful in balance, but everyone defines their own version of balance. So I don't know, I I've I've not found any I'm a unique person. We all are unique. I can't retrofit somebody's approach to mine. I borrow ideas, that's why we have, you know, podcasts like this where people share what works for them, and then you sort of take a little bit, you test and you know tweak it around and then keep going. But that's that's that's I just you have to chart your own path, but you won't know if you don't start looking.
SPEAKER_04I wanted to a really important one, and we've we've I've struggled with this personally now in my career and and moving into having my own business is is money mindset. Money mindset is feels impossible sometimes. I'm now much better at it. I feel I understand it, money flaws, it's an energy. I'm I'm much better at it now, and I'm more of an abundant thinker. But what does money mean to you? What is yeah, what does money mean to you?
SPEAKER_00Money is stability, money is freedom to me, the ability to choose what I want to do. Um, and it's so important because actually when we talked about this transition, it didn't just happen, I chose it, it was very intentional. And um, to this day, people laugh. I was like, I'm not I you know, I've had uh offers made for a salary job, and I was like, I'll be completely honest, I'm not looking for a salary right now. I'm looking, I came in here looking for financial freedom, and financial freedom is the ability to make the choice I want to, because whether you like it or not, having money allows you to if if someone was to say then we we actually got sent a few questions in about our podcast, and one of the things that came when we mentioned you was how do you or or do you have a view on how to deal with the panic of moving away from a full-time job to secure salary, particularly boo for the last maybe 10-15 years, and wanting to go out on your own, wanting to start something that you believe in, and you maybe aren't an investment banker with a big um what what what do you what would you say to them? Um I'm I'm there right now. I mean honestly, because this when you don't have a big nest egg, I think that's what you're asking. Where do you start? How do you solve for it?
SPEAKER_04And how do you step away from the safety, the continuity of a safe income?
SPEAKER_00I keep I I I think lots of people romanticize entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is tough. All work is tough. I keep saying, like, whatever, unless you have a trust fund and you're just doing it casually because someone else is footing your bills. But if you're working to make ends meet to, you know, have your own lifestyle, all work is difficult. You just have to choose your one that you at least this is what I believe about passion, right? Passion gets you through the incredibly tough times, and you wake up and you're like, all right, at least I love this work. That's why I'm still doing it. You know what I mean? However, I often counsel people and I was like, because I meet lots of people who are at a crossroads, uh, and I was just like, look, entrepreneurship is risky. For most, the cash flow does this. Very few people are able to design something that's like almost like a perfect annuity that comes regularly. Um, and so I was like, look, if you're ready for this journey and you're going in with your eyes open, you've spoken to people who are already on this path, or if it's completely new, you have to have some security to do it. Otherwise, if you have none, if you need to put food on your table and you have no security, that is mad that's madness. Because the stress is gonna kill you. Entrepreneurship requires creativity. Creativity only happens when you, entrepreneur, feel well, and financial security is critical. So for that, I say side hustle that dream first and test it and test it because so many things are assumptions. Look at my own journey, right? I came in with this brand beautifully designed, great, everything should have worked, and then COVID happened. It's an on-the-go brand. It was supposed to live, you know, with busy lifestyles away from your bathroom, and then COVID happened. All of the business planning, financial modeling, all of that ish did not matter like that. I couldn't have predicted it, but you have to adapt, right? So um coming back to, so I keep saying, however, even before I launched it, I still have a friend to this day and I laugh. And he turned around to me. He was like, he said, he was like, Nana, you're making a big leap, you know? It's like, why don't you just curate some of these things that work? There are products out there, test it for a bit first and see what sticks and see how you also are as an entrepreneur, how good are you at selling? How good are you at da da da da da da da da before making this big jump? And I still remember at the time I was like, oh, dude, I want to do this, my products are growing, and not listening. And I didn't listen to him. And it's so funny because today, when I talk to lots of people, I say the same thing he said to me to them.
SPEAKER_03Like, maybe it was quite good advice.
SPEAKER_00No, no, but this is I speak to entrepreneurs all the time. It's like most entrepreneurs aren't lacking advice. It's like there's advice coming out of the wazoo. Your wazoo, right? It's more, but you have to make a choice, and that's why entrepreneurship is also, it's not, there are lots of things that people are fixing, right? So, in my case, I needed a new adventure. I just lost my dad. I was at this crossroads. I needed to go on that journey. I was grieving, so I needed to do something else and immerse myself in a different way. I didn't know it desperately at that point in time. That's not how I was thinking about it because I was going into it and this was gonna make me, I don't know. Um, who's the woman? Uh Tiffany Masterson of Drunk Elephant. That was one of the stories.
SPEAKER_01I was like, damn, you women have insane and become millionaires in like five, like seven years.
SPEAKER_04If everyone anyone hasn't listened to that podcast, they're sure.
SPEAKER_00But but there you go. But that's what I learned, right, on that journey. And so if you don't have that nested, or if you're and this is the other bit, so I also meet lots of people who corporate let them down, a terrible manager, or they were bullied or something, and there's a little bit of heartbreak and almost PTSD that they're dealing with, and that's the thing that's pushing them into entrepreneurship as opposed to a love for entrepreneurship. And I say, look, you're gonna have to face your demons, go get counseling, whatever, find a different, at least at least name what it is that you don't like, and then go and find something more secure that at least deals with that, because entrepreneurship is not the solution if you need that stability.
SPEAKER_04I'm smiling because it is literally what happened to me. So I had a really traumatic experience with a job, and it was the it was the push for me to want to go to put up there say full time, but I actually did a lot of therapy and coaching for six months before I left said job because I thought I need to make sure that before I take this leap and give up everything, that like A, that this is a good idea, and B, that I'm gonna love it. And there's days when we wake up and I'm like, Jess, yesterday was brutal. And I'm like, oh my god, it was so hard. And I'm just and but I love it, and we can't get enough of it. And I think at the minute that we're riding that wave, but it that is such sound and good advice, and I probably was still took too much of a risk to be honest. Um touch wood, thankfully, it it worked out, but uh, I think getting that core chain or therapy after a really traumatic work experience is essential.
SPEAKER_05Um and it I think it's affected everything, you know, how you work daily moving forward. Like you've got that in your, you know, you've got that experience and learnings in your mind at the forefront still, you know.
SPEAKER_04Oh, I learned so much from coaching and therapy that I bring forward into work now. So much that it wasn't. We talk about it all the time. Um I really want to touch on what because I want to finish this bit about 100 allies. Well, I don't want to want to start it before we finish, is what I mean. 100 allies, it's actually how we met. So we actually Nena and I met because um we have a friend in common, a colleague, a person in common called Ali, who's fabulous. And I was out for drinks with Ali in Little House Mafia, and she was like, What are you up to today? And I said, I really just want to do something in in this year, but outside of it as well. That's it's really about like just helping people. And I said, I've noticed that 100 allies and and Nena's gig and I just really want to get involved. And she was super honest with me, and she was like, Yeah, look like Skill set wise, absolutely, Nena will want your help, but like you've got to be you've got to be able to help. Because if you're just gonna say you want to help and then you're never available and can't do anything, and she was like quite honest with me, and I said, No, like I will, I'll make myself available. Um, and then I met Nena and we straight away just loved your energy and you were so inspiring. And the the story of 100 Allies, which I want you to tell, not me, is so bloody great that I was like, what do you need me to do? Like, how can I help? And we we're scrappy and we all jump in, but we get shit done, and you're building this amazing thing. And I know it's a it's a baby part of your pie, but it's still a part of your pie.
SPEAKER_00It's an important part of my pie.
SPEAKER_04Would you talk, particularly because of the audience that are going to be watching this? I think it is a really important piece of the puzzle to to Nena and Uber and who you are today. Could you talk through why you created it and what really you're trying to, what are you trying to build? What are you trying to say with 100 allies as the vehicle?
SPEAKER_00Our base mission is to change the face on the faces of the boardroom. And that is opening up access to opportunity, however, we can. And that's why I said the mission is important. So we want to lift everyone to leadership. If you're ambitious and you're building something, uh, and I use careers, and careers aren't just in big corporates, careers are big corporates, they're entrepreneurs, but increasingly, actually, a very big group that we're seeing is people who are building these fractional self-employed careers. And what I found in our sector is there was actually no first organization that put inclusion at its heart. So what differentiates 100 allies from any other organization, and we've had to get here, is this approach to radical inclusion, radical inclusion, anyone, whatever, wherever you are in your career, however it looks, professional, entrepreneur, da da da da da, everyone's always trying to carve things. And I was like, when you carve it, you actually miss people on the edges, on the margins. So we want something that anyone, however, you can, you can come to us. And uh, we're not big, we're not, but at least you can get some support that moves you forward in some way. It's like baseline, important support. Um, but here's what's interesting. And so this radical inclusion, anyone can come. However, through curation, careful curation of the experts that we bring into our community, we solve an important, of course, underrepresentation. We have all the data, right? Beauty is an in fact, this was one of the important data points that got me thinking, why is nobody else talking about this? Right? This is a category. Beauty in the UK is worth 30.4 billion. This is from the Value of Beauty report, British Beauty Council. Go check it out.
SPEAKER_04Of which Nina spends 30 billion.
SPEAKER_00You know, I contribute my own bits in multiple ways. Um, but it's an but it's predominantly powered by women. Yep. Um, I think it's 80, 80% are 80% workforce, 86% entrepreneurs. Um, yet when you look at the top of the pie, the leadership, the boardrooms, who gets to build big businesses that exit, the numbers fall off. There was research that showed at the start of this, it's uh it's it's about to get updated. But in the top 20 largest organizations, there was only 17%, three female CEOs, three chairs, and four CFOs. And I was like, hang on, the base is 80, 86%. And only I was like, this is ridiculous for a category where the economy is women. I was like, this is like that gap is just stupid. And so that was almost the start of a fuel. I was like, I'm sorry, there is more we can do to ensure that we are supporting where it breaks, right? So that at least we see more people coming through uh the pie. And that's where it started. But it's been a little bit of a journey to find what lever actually moves or shifts the needle. And it's it's oh, the 100 ally journey is incredible. Our hero product that has stuck is this clinic model. It's very, very simple. From the last two clinics that we did, I haven't collated the data on the third one, but we are seven uh 76, 76 to, I think it's about 86 as well, percent female led, are the people who come to our organization, but also 46 to 64. These are the numbers from like clinic one, clinic two, uh, minority on like uh uh attendees. And I was like, but look at this. I told Miss, I'm I use this as a case study for organizations to think actually more creatively about how they promote diversity and inclusion. We created a space where anyone can come in. We didn't go out saying we're solving for black women or brown women or red women or whatever. We just said anyone's coming. We've curated very carefully who is in the mix and who's, but also how people feel when they come in to our clinics. I'm so intentional about just removing all of the nonsense hierarchy. We've created such an incredible atmosphere where you can come with anything, no question, is off taboo. So a lot of people, I say it's where growth gets personal. People come in and ask honest questions. And many people we meet, we meet them at a point where their confidence is broken. And the ability to just sit there and talk to someone who you trust their advice, uh, and but also they have an ability to move the needle. I'm going to give you this final story of just a full circle 100 allies moment. Before I came over here, I went to an event um actually run by one of our uh mentors, Donna Diaz called Beauty Beads. Um, and I met, I bumped into a woman there, and I was like, You're you're familiar. And she was like, Yes, yes, yes, I've been to the clinics, clinics one and two. And I was like, great. And I was like, of course I remember you, because we create bios for everyone who comes in. So you have the experts, CVs, you can see it on our website, but everyone who comes in, no one sees that, gets their own. We present everyone in grace, right? We tell the story of who you are, but we also let the experts know what you want to talk about. And this woman had been made redundant from uh her organization. And I think she came to us at the time, I think she even wrote down, I'm thinking of starting a brand. And she came, she was like, and I got a gig. I got a gig. I've just been made senior, something, something, something of the buddy shop. But let me tell you the beautiful bit. It was one of our expert mentors from series one who hooked her up. That's actually so sweet.
SPEAKER_04But but what's full circle? That's exactly what it was designed to do.
SPEAKER_00I hear these stories and I talk about it creating ripples, right? Because I'm not gonna sit here and can't collect how much. Of course, there are some I repeat because I've heard them, but this was I didn't go looking for it. It was just a woman I bumped into in an event. You were meant to say that today. You were meant to say that today. And like literally, she made me, I mean, she made me like tear up on the spot. I sent a text to um to the mentor because all of these things are happening all the time. And they're happening. I've connected 350 people since February. 350 connections made with elite, like experts. It's incredible, incredible, incredible.
SPEAKER_04There will be information below for for people to have a look at 100 allies, but you'll see the calibre of um of people on there, of advisors, and it's really amazing. And you get access to real, true, heartfelt advice full of humility. It's not, I love getting the pictures through the next day after the clinics. I don't live in the UK, so I've not actually been to them in person, but um, I'm gonna make a point of getting to one physically in 26, but I love getting the photos the next day because it's just such it looks jolly. Everyone is just there smiling, laughing, learning, interested. Like it's all powerful. You should be so proud of yourself. I feel very fortunate to be working.
SPEAKER_00It's not what we set out to do, it's not what I thought. But this clinic had only happened a couple of weeks ago, and it was at L'Oreal and L'Oreal's big beautiful offices, and it was the third of these. And I have to say, it was first of all the first time that I think I spoke in front of the room without any imposter syndrome. Lots of people was like, Oh, you speak so well. And I was like, I don't know about that.
SPEAKER_01Um you do coming up. I was the one who would literally like my heart beat. That's almost like something transformed in me when I had to appear on a stage. It's it doesn't happen anymore. Yeah, you know, but it's again to give hope to anyone who's sitting and thinking, oh my god, how do they do it? You can learn it. You can learn it. You can you can learn it. You can learn it.
SPEAKER_00No, no, no, no. For me, it's like working out repetition builds the muscle. You have to put yourself out of your comfort zone and go into it. And that's actually what entrepreneurship, having my own brand, taught me. Because it's like, damn, I gotta go and sell shit. So, you know, get over yourself and go do that. But but no, it's it's so so clinic three was brilliant. The feedback, we only had, I think, just shy of a hundred people, and I've counted the reposts that were happening like a week. Over at least half of them shared the experience on, and I was like, who else has that in terms of uh if you're attendees? And they were saying the best, the most wonderful things. I mean, look, look, look her up. She's the chief growth officer of L'Oreal. She gave the keynotes, but it was just a wonderful, wonderful environment in there. It's so nurturing, it's so supportive. Everyone who leaves gets something out of it. And I think that's what makes it work, actually. It's incredible, incredible. Nana, that's why it's your dessert. That's the delicious dessert. That's why it's the dessert.
SPEAKER_04Right, Nana. It's time for one of our favorite parts of the show. It's called The Say Way Say. It's where we take the cliches, the myths, the mantras around money, leadership, power, and see what actually holds up in real life. It's a quick fire round. There's about six, seven questions, and it's quick answers. So quick.
SPEAKER_00Good luck getting that out of me.
SPEAKER_05Sim, we can do it. Are you gonna start, Jess? Yeah, I'll start. They say success speaks for itself. What do you say?
SPEAKER_00They say success speaks for itself. I guess so. I guess so. I don't say that one, but I say um excellence isn't hidden for long.
SPEAKER_03So it's my even better than what they say.
SPEAKER_04This is trust is built, not asked for. What do you see?
SPEAKER_00One one thousand percent trust is earned. Trust is earned one hundred percent agree with that.
SPEAKER_05They say balance is impossible.
SPEAKER_00Ay, ay, ay. Um, I think balance is yours to create. It's it's it's so personal. Um, it's not one cookie size cutter fit for everyone, but it's work in progress. You've gotta be trying. We've gotta we've gotta be doing a week. We've gotta be trying.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, then they say soft skills don't build hard power. What do you see?
SPEAKER_00I think that's bullshit actually, because feminine power, this is something I'm incredibly passionate about. The world over indexes on male leadership qualities, and actually a lot of the what the world calls soft but important in leadership are the female skills. Um, and they're critical, critical, critical. I would love if the world works out for me. I would love to see the future of work where more of those skills are par for par with the hard skills because it's so needed, and especially as the world is evolving right now with you know, technology, um, not even knowledge is disintermediated, right? We all have Jet GPT, everyone knows something or is an expert in something. And so the ability to listen, the ability to nurture, the ability to empower people, um, I think those skills are going to be increasingly more important as the world evolves. But I don't know that was a critical.
SPEAKER_05No, that was a brilliant answer, and literally couldn't agree about it. They say you can't lead with empathy in business. Bullshit. That's why I listened to that.
SPEAKER_04I think we can follow on, I think we can do a tail lovely there. It's gotta be one of the most important things, of course.
SPEAKER_00But has anyone ever disagreed with that? Does that do has anyone had a different view?
SPEAKER_04No, because empathy is bad for people. Not as in not today, but um there will be absolutely people that have a different view to that.
SPEAKER_00There's empathy, empathy is a word I use a lot. Please just allow me to say this. Um, as someone who I work with in beauty, lots of entrepreneurs are looking for capital to build their brands, to realize their dreams, etc. etc. Majority of people I meet are not ready for capital. Their businesses aren't ready or in a shape where capital can flow into it. And so I often talk about having empathy for the journey, the experience. Because I understand, I've been a founder who's had a brand and it's like, God, please, if someone would just like chuck lots of money in here, we will make it all it'll make it all. So so, but I can talk to founders and say I have empathy for the situation. It's because I have empathy for it that I created 100 allies, as at least a space where you go in. But it doesn't change the fact that investors are businesses, they need their return, right? And they need to go to places in a climate where it's getting harder and harder to get capital, the cost of capital is increasing, the bar that they have to meet on the end is rising. So they go towards what is more predictable, rightly or wrongly. So I have empathy for both sides. It doesn't mean though, that when I say to someone, and I also invest, right, I can't put money in you because I need to know it's gonna come out. Gotta do a little bit more work. And again, it's unfortunate because those rules don't apply to everybody, right? So some people have, when we talk about the first investors in your business of friend and family. In the underrepresented or lower socioeconomic classes, that pool of friends and family is like non-existent. So where's it gonna come from? How am I going to start and realize this ambition? I have a lot of empathy for that, but it doesn't change the rules, which is how the world is built. It's unfortunate.
SPEAKER_04Nena, you are a fountain of knowledge. We are gonna steal you for one last bit, which is the last brief. So before we let you go to building businesses and running mentoring sessions and leaders and reminding us that balance is power for whatever your balance is, because I think that's a really important point that we've taken away from today is you've got to find what that is for you. But it's time for the last brief. So this one isn't about what you do, but why you do it.
SPEAKER_05So if you could take one last brief in your life, a brand causal mission that captures everything that you've learned about leadership and building with purpose, what would that be?
SPEAKER_00Oh my god, it's it's absolutely the work I'm doing for 100 allies is in my dream, you know, there's a through connection line with talent, access to capital, and um uh there's there's a there's another bit that I'm missing right now. Um, but those those those pieces uh allowing anyone who has ambition to be able to find their path uh to make it work is uh is the brief I'm actually working on right now because I think we're missing at a base level some systems and systems that at least make that possible that exists in sectors like tech, for example, and other places, but we don't have here because we don't have a startup ecosystem where capital can flow in, even when it's still risky and dodgy and in that way. And that's what 100 allies is the first part of it, the second part of it is evolving as we speak. But this is this would be my final brief is let's build that missing infrastructure that allows the whole wealth. And there's a lot of talent, there's a lot of talent, there's a lot of innovation. It's also what is driving the category. You know, six seven percent of growth over the last decade in our category has come from new disruptors who are coming, they're closer to the trend, they build community, they move speedily uh uh uh in a way that the majors don't. And but it's significantly undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and also underdistributed. And so I think those things will really unlock uh some of the bottleneck that I think uh would really expand the category. That's my hope, and that's what I'm working towards.
SPEAKER_04What a beautiful finish! And for anyone that wants to get involved in 100 allies, I think it's definitely worth we'll we'll put some information out and you can get some information about the amazing accelerator clinics. When's the next one, Nena?
SPEAKER_00Um, hasn't been planned yet, but we move very fast. The last clinic was every clinic we've done is sold out in under 48 hours. The one before was sold out in 24 hours. Just join our waitlist. We typically give like a day or two before we open it up just to let people know it's coming. Um, and then just sign up.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I usually get a note from Nana EL. We need to get going with the CRM stuff. Yep, on it, let's go. Nena.
SPEAKER_01It works because we have amazing people that keep saying we have a stealth, we have a stealth team. We are small, but we move forward.
SPEAKER_04Small but mighty. And it's it's amazing, and we'll definitely be the next one. And look, thank you for your insight and for your incredible grace, Nana.
SPEAKER_01Thank you for having me. I enjoy this chat so right.
SPEAKER_04This real mastery is like, I feel like I feel like I could just listen for hours. Really? Yeah, I feel like it's kind of injected me with some sort of like I'm like hooked. Um, but if you've enjoyed being part of this conversation, follow the SA Studios on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok and tell us what you say. We love hearing your tick. And don't forget to subscribe from wherever you're listening or watching.
SPEAKER_05There's plenty more to come. See you next time. Bye bye.