Natalie Futo-Wallace is the founder of Lielle Womenswear, a resort wear brand based in Redcar, North Yorkshire. Diagnosed with dyslexia early in life, Natalie leaned on her creative strengths which led her to study fashion design and construction at her local college before travelling and then heading back home to start her career. What most people don’t know is that before Lielle, there was Kiwi. A brand she co-founded way before Instagram was a thing. Their way of marketing was taking pictures and posting them on Facebook seeing as they didn’t have a website yet. That went on for a few years until tensions were high and Natalie knew it was time to venture into something new - thus Lielle was born. However, Lielle was birthed at a time Natalie describes as the ‘hardest time of her life’, as she sadly lost her mother due to sickness. In this interview Natalie really opens up about how difficult that moment was for her and her siblings, but how she turned her grief into strength. With a fantastic work ethic and a strong support system, she has worked tirelessly to make Lielle the success it is today. In this interview you’ll learn about: How all the things you experience are not in vain and will lead you to your calling The reality of working with friends and family Turning grief into strength The real and honest reality of building a brand from the ground up How influencer marketing really skyrocketed Natalie’s brand Visit Lielle Womenswear’s website - www.liellewomenswear.co.uk Follow Lielle Womenswear on Instagram - @liellewomenswear Follow Natalie on Instagram - @nataliefutowallace Follow The Entry Platform on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for daily doses of fashion business and mindset content: www.theentryplatform.co // @theentryplatform.co

Before ntwrkd, Sabinah pulled together £500 to purchase wholesale pieces from a supplier in Manchester. In just a few months, she was able to use the revenue from that brand to start working on her own designs for ntwrkd. Along the way, as you can probably relate, she had her own fair share of challenges. From problems with finding the right manufacturer, to the impact of Covid. At a time where her business was reaching new heights, the sales disappeared overnight, and her job at the time almost halved her salary. It was tough. But she took it day by day. Today, ntwrkd has been worn by many influencers all over the world including Yris Palmer and Lydia Dinga, and serves a group of loyal customers who love their affordable pricing, high quality and the representation of a South Asian woman at the forefront of a growing British label. In this podcast episode we discuss: How her 9-5 drove her to start her own brands The production process behind her designs The impact of influencer marketing Why and how she’s creating a business on her own terms Visit ntwrkd’s website - www.ntwrkd.co.uk Follow ntwrkd on Instagram - @ntwrkd Follow Sabinah on Instagram - @sabinahe BOOKS MENTIONED: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey Rich Dard Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki Follow The Entry Platform on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for daily doses of fashion business and mindset content: www.theentryplatform.co // @theentryplatform.co

Seventh Stores is a two year old brand that has really been eleven years in the making. Bukki Ojo, founder of Seventh Stores, began her entrepreneurial journey at the tender age of 18 after college as a sales assistant in then Topshop Oxford Street. No one could prepare Bukki for the blessings and pain she was to endure over the next decade. Before Seventh Stores, Bukki ran two businesses where she had the opportunity to learn the business of fashion, putting her in an advantageous position to build Seventh Stores quickly. However, she faced much rejection and financial pressure that nearly made her file for bankruptcy. In the midst of it all, her mother, who was also Bukki’s best friend, passed away. But not without equipping her daughter with the mindset and tools for success. We discuss: The origin of Seventh Stores How faith has played a huge role in Bukki's life The tough challenges Bukki has pushed through in business The key to designing and building a legacy brand  How to prepare for wholesale  Advice for the next generation of designers  Visit the Seventh Stores website Seventh Store's Instagram  Seventh Store's Twitter Bukki Ojo's Instagram Follow The Entry Platform on Instagram and Twitter for daily doses of fashion business and mindset content. Visit our website

Reni Abina is the founder of VOGUE approved Nigerian-based luxury womenswear brand, Rendoll. The label was founded in 2019 sparked by Reni sitting in the infamous Lagos traffic. The initial investment in the brand was £400 from her hair business at the time which she used to buy fabric and make the first ten designs, produced by local Nigerian tailors. Over the last three years, as the business has grown exponentially, Reni has had to grow too and step into her CEO hat. In this episode, Reni offers practical advice on: Her first steps once she decided to pursue Rendoll Her creative design process The steps she takes when launching and promoting a collection What her marketing strategy looks like today How she’s dealt with the very tough moments in business Visit the Rendoll store Follow Rendoll on Instagram Follow Reni on Instagram Follow The Entry Platform on Instagram for daily doses of fashion, business and mindset content Visit our website

Djulia Flach is the founder of German-based label Jeewl, a brand which specialises in luxury camera bags. Djulia noticed a gap in the market whilst working as a freelance photographer, content creator and social media marketing. The idea came to her on and off for five years, but it was a quote on Pinterest “camera bags for women are either functional and ugly, or beautiful and not protective” which led her to officially launch Jeewl in 2020. A recurring theme on the D2D podcast is that something goes wrong before it goes right. In October 2021, Djulia set up a Kickstarter campaign to raise ​​£20,870 to help with her production costs. After one month, she raised £2,815 and made the hard decision to cancel the campaign. But where there is ‘failure’, there is always a lesson. What people may not know is that crowdfunding can be used as a form of advertising and marketing. This episode is for those in the early stages of launching their brand, something Djulia is still experiencing and shares with us in an enlightening conversation: “things become real, when you really work hard for it”. Discover more about Djulia and Jeewl: Jeewl Online store Djulia Instagram’s  @djul___ Jeewl Official Instagram: @jeewl.official Follow The Entry Platform for regular doses of fashion, mindset, and business gems on Instagram! @theentry_platform

This week I’m speaking to Dami Howells, the mastermind behind DAMIHOW Active Wear. Dami created her fitness brand as she was tired of not finding any stylish gym wear and the lack of diversity in the industry. We had a great conversation about overcoming obstacles, the importance of resilience, working a full-time 9-5 job whilst growing a brand, and seeing her brand featured in Vogue and Women’s Health Magazine. -- To learn more about Dami, you can follow her Instagram and shop DAMIHOW below: www.damihow.com www.instagram.com/damihowells www.instagram.com/damihow Follow The Entry Platform for regular doses of fashion, mindset, and business gems on Instagram: www.instagram.com/theentry_platform You can sign up to our weekly newsletter via The Entry Platform website: www.theentryplatform.com For day to day posts of my life, BTS of my brand, follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/iamrebeccatembo

Today’s guest is Alie Mackintosh, the founder of AYM Studio. A British Made to Order brand based in Sussex, creating sustainable and ethically made womenswear. You may have spotted Alie’s designs on Kim Kardashian or even Hailey Beiber. I caught up with Alie to find out how she went from sewing all her pieces herself to growing a team,  dressing the biggest celebrities in the world, her sustainable MTO business model, the ups and downs of her journey so far, and how AYM has been navigating around COVID 19. -- www.theentryplatform.com www.aym-studio.com www.instagram.com/theentry_platform www.instagram.com/rebeccatembo_ www.instagram.com/aym.studio www.instagram.com/aliemackintosh