Today we will be speaking with Sam Paget Steavenson, co-founder of Botivo. This British non-alcoholic botanical aperitivo has joy, playfulness and vivacity in abundance across flavour, brand and approach to doing business. This is accompanied by a determination, an attention to detail and a focus that means the commercial side is thriving, the comp…

In this episode, we are exploring the alchemy, the mystery and the magic of partnerships. For me it is such an intriguing element of creativity and of entrepreneurship. How do they work? Is it about divide and conquer? is it about contrast, connection and friendship? How are decisions made and conflicts resolved? How can you nurture and enliven the…

In this episode I speak with Pip Durell founder of With Nothing Underneath to explore having singular focus at your business grows, how to lead, the reality of what it takes and how to celebrate the journey . Start ups are exciting and much discussed but there is something particularly intriguing about those companies that make it to adolescence. Y…

Gemma Moulton is the founder of East London Cloth. Gemma has crafted a visual narrative, a sensibility, a place and space all of her very own. It is both timeless and of the moment. It draws intelligently and interestingly on the past. The business has evolved quickly from making curtains, to café curtains by post and now as a fabric house of its v…

We ask Ben Watkinson, Creative Director of GF Smith, about the power of paper, the work of a paper merchant, resilience, innovation, company culture, longevity and what the next one hundred years might bring. When I begin work with a new client, their specific understanding of success is a vital first step. Often I find myself ushering people towar…

If curiosity is your north star, you will enjoy this. How does being self-taught impact the life of a creative entrepreneur? Those who live a life of creativity are often driven by something quite simple - curiosity, wonder and questioning. There is an innate desire to want to understand something, to work something out, to communicate and to explo…

How to ignite original thinking to action and how to keep that independence of thought at the heart of all you do as your businees grows. I think that we would all liked to be described as original. I think we also like to think that our designs, branding, website, shop or investment strategy meet that threshold too. But it is a high one. There are…

How do we tune into clients? How can we read them quickly? How can we take feedback well? How can we be collaborative? How can we help them tell their story? I always enjoy the dedications and acknowledgements in books. Such hidden treasures. Recently, I had the pleasure of wolfing down Thomas Heatherwick’s latest book ‘Humanise – a Maker’s Guide T…

A conversation about how the Swedes do business with textile designer, Cathy Nordstrom. A few years ago, I had a conversation with Taymoor Atigetchi, founder of Papier about the impact of his Iranian roots on the way that he does business. That train of thought stayed with me. And stayed with me. And stayed with me to the point of preoccupation.And…

Welcome to Up With the Lark And – a podcast for creative entrepreneurs hosted by me, Calandre Orton. It seems to me that there are two key factors in the running of a great business. Consistency and Change. Together. Blended. Balanced. Connected. And as we usher in a New Year, change is on our minds. What goals have you set for yourself this year? …

Welcome to Up With the Lark And – a podcast for creative entrepreneurs hosted by me, Calandre Orton. One of the areas of creative business that intrigues me most is how creatives work together. How do great partnerships, collaborations, commissions, pairs and teams work? How do we know if an endeavour will be challenging, stretching, engaging, enri…

It seems to me that the mix of work rest and play has gone awry. Many of us find ourselves far from a good blend, mix or combinations of these three critical factors in any creative business. Work has long been worshipped. Being oh so very busy, burning the candle at both ends and the midnight oil, the 5am club, all nights have all been badges of h…

It seems to me that the mix of work rest and play has gone awry. Many of us find ourselves far from a good blend, mix or combinations of these three critical factors in any creative business. Work has long been worshipped. Being oh so very busy, burning the candle at both ends and the midnight oil, the 5am club, all nights have all been badges of h…

It seems to me that the mix of work rest and play has gone awry. Many of us find ourselves far from a good blend, mix or combinations of these three critical factors in any creative business. Work has long been worshipped. Being oh so very busy, burning the candle at both ends and the midnight oil, the 5am club, all nights have all been badges of h…

It seems to me that the mix of work rest and play has gone awry. Many of us find ourselves far from a good blend, mix or combinations of these three critical factors in any creative business. Work has long been worshipped. Being oh so very busy, burning the candle at both ends and the midnight oil, the 5am club, all nights have all been badges of h…

It seems to me that the mix of work rest and play has gone awry. Many of us find ourselves far from a good blend, mix or combinations of these three critical factors in any creative business. Work has long been worshipped. Being oh so very busy, burning the candle at both ends and the midnight oil, the 5am club, all nights have all been badges of h…

In this episode we are joined by Jess Wheeler. Jess is a designer and artist based in North Wales. She works across a variety of disciplines from set to homeware design and her cross disciplinary approach has a unified, nostalgic, nature driven narrative. I greatly admire not just the pieces that Jess creates but also her route and methods. In fact…

It is too easy to throw up our hands in despair at the state of the world. And yet there are many of you acting to make a change. Not only that, you are doing it ever so stylishly. Each of you should be applauded. For quite some time, I have wanted to adjust the format of the podcast. To mix in with the one to one interviews, some more ‘round the t…

There is an audible sigh of exhaustion, of weariness, of disturbed momentum, of deep uncertainty. So in this collection of conversations, we are going to discuss ideas, approaches and temperaments that could act as an antidote for those of us working in the arts and creative industries. If you have found yourself retreating, becoming overly cautiou…

It is true that many enterprises begin with someone unable to find what they are looking for, so they make it themselves and Nights By Wilder is a delightful example of this. It was born out of founder Elizabeth’s stylish eye for nightwear for her children. Stylish is quite the word here, Nights By Wilder is highly memorable from its fabrics and si…

Welcome to the latest episode of Up With The Lark And. In this latest collection of conversations, I hope to offer some small antidote to the pervasive sense of weariness, exhaustion and uncertainty. My guests offer attitudes, approaches and temperaments that I hope should offer ideas, energy and confidence. Our guest is Julian Parmiter, one of the…

It feels that within the creative industries there is an audible sigh of exhaustion, of weariness, of disturbed momentum, of uncertainty. So, in this collection of conversations, we are going to discuss ideas, approaches and temperaments that could act an antidote to this. I have approached those who have reimagined an industry, a material, an appr…

In this episode we face up to a complex, emotive and sadly ubiquitous challenge: copying. To my mind this is a heady mix of principle and pragmatism, the creative life and commercial reality. The fact is that copying is an inherent part of the pursuit of creativity. Imitation is how we learn and we are all searching for inspiration hoping to excava…

Welcome to Episode 62 and a rather special follow up episode. Back in November 2020, I had the pleasure of speaking with Alexandra Dauley and Sophie Ashby co-founders of United in Design. United in Design is a charitable project working to tackle the lack of diversity in the design industries. The conversation that we had was honest and moving. It …

Welcome to Episode 61 and a topic I am delighted to be discussing - how to build on success. Too often preoccupied with what could go wrong, we rarely openly discuss “what could go right”? How does success impact us? Does it offer freedom or pressure? How do we sustain it? Far from an air of arrogance, for me building on success is the antidote to …

In this spring-time cluster of episodes, I look to the great outdoors, to gardens, garden design, landscaping and all things green and, in particular, that great institution Chelsea Flower Show. The show is a place to luxuriate in the great garden renaissance of the 2020s and to explore current themes, preoccupations and narratives. For this episod…

In these spring-time episodes, I look to the great outdoors, to gardens, garden design, landscaping and, in particular, that great institution Chelsea Flower show. Far from its past reputation as a little ‘fuddy duddy’, Chelsea is now a place to luxuriate in the great garden renaissance of the 2020s. It is an opportunity to explore current themes, …

You might be forgiven for thinking that you've downloaded an episode of Elizabeth Day's How to Fail when you hear the story of this episode. I had the honour of interviewing Taymoor Atighetchi, founder of Papier, some weeks ago over Zoom. I'll be honest. I made a huge mistake. I failed to press record. It was a horrifying realisation. By some mirac…

Welcome to the latest episode in our Start Series. Today we Start with the Classics with Emily Campbell of nightwear brand If Only If. For me a classic is something timeless, of quality, of influence, an outstanding example that for reasons not always easy to articulate stands apart. A classic may come in and out of the limelight, be refreshed and …

Welcome to the latest episode in our Start Series. In this episode we consider, Start A Partnership. And we do so with a very special pair indeed - Lori de Mori and Laura Jackson of Towpath. Towpath is that rare thing these days. It is a discovery. Nestled in four kiosks on Regent's Canal, the shutters open in Spring to reveal a warmth, an intimacy…

Welcome to the latest episode in the Start Series. Today, Start A Creative Life Outside London. It seems to me that creatives, creative endeavour, creative projects and workspaces have shifted to the length and breadth of the nation thanks, I presume, to the pandemic. Whilst London is a world famous centre for the full range of creative industries,…

Welcome to the second part of our special two-part series looking at the Museum of the Home. Twig Hutchinson is back to co-host and we recorded the episode overlooking the beautiful gardens of the museum. On the day of the Yard Sale they were teeming with stalls, treasures and conversation. Twig and I are acutely aware of all that is going on in th…

Home means something, something significant, to all of us. This episode is different and a bit special. It is the first of a two part series focusing on the Museum of the Home. You will hear all about the Museum itself, the Behind the Door campaign supporting London's homeless women and families and the Yard Sale that the Museum is holding on 12 Ma…

As we find ourselves heading into another strange Christmas, I wanted to find someone with a bit of festive cheer for you. And so, a festive tipple is on the agenda! I have, by good luck, managed to combine it with one of my favourite topics: the family business. It’s been on my list for a long time and I am delighted to have the founders of Kuda C…

Welcome to the latest episode in the START series. Today we have Rowena Morgan-Cox founder of Palefire. We are going to consider 'Start Something New'. Over the last few years, the number of people registering new business has increased dramatically In March 2021, more new businesses were created that month than any other month since HMRC records b…

Welcome to the latest episode in our series Start. Today is Start Your Own Approach and to explore that topic, both in style and substance, we have Georgia Dant founder of Marfa Stance. Marfa Stance is a clothing brand with a distinctive aesthetic that creates timeless designs providing not just life long quality but versatility too. They invite th…

Welcome to the first episode in the new series entitled START. The topic is Start Your Own Projects and our guest is the incredibly talented still life photographer, Kate Friend. It seems to me that it is very easy to become focused entirely on commission based work, bringing a client’s vision and expectations to life. Working on your own passion p…

In this episode we have a little extra end of summertime treat ahead of the new series starting later in the autumn. My guest is Chow Mezger of Jude's Ice Cream and we explore the deceptive simplicity of a tub of vanilla ice cream. I have long wanted Jude's to come on the podcast because I feel that the story of Jude's touches on so many interestin…

Welcome to Episode Six of the Perseverance Series. We all know wonderful people who can tell a great story - the perfect person to sit next to at dinner. They can make a story about getting on a ferry, going to the supermarket or attending parents evening incredibly funny or they can bring a place, a meal or a culture to life in very few words. The…

Welcome to Episode Five in this latest series entitled Perseverance. In May 2020, The Craft Council produced an extensive report on the Market For Craft (it is certainly worth a read). They reported on a new generation of craft makers and consumers - I couldn't agree more! A renewed respect for technique, the digital age and a desire for experience…

Welcome to the latest in the series on perseverance - whatever creative industry you are in or whatever stage your career is at, whether you are starting up or scaling up, perseverance is the name of the game. And in this episode we are going to delve into 'persevering with your values'. If you have worked with me, you'll know about y frankly obses…

Welcome to Episode Three in our series on Perseverance. In this episode, we explore 'Persevere with Performance'. I know that the performing arts have been woefully under-represented on this podcast as they aren't, in the traditional sense, 'entrepreneurial'. But in fact, I think that we have a great deal to learn from those who dedicate themselves…

Welcome to Episode Two in our series entitled “Perseverance”. Atelier Ellis make quiet, beautiful handmade paint to help you tell the story of your home. Founder Cassandra Ellis, is queen of the understated, the considered, the cocooning. It is apparently effortless and deeply atmospheric. Even the hand-painted paint chart is thing of beauty. She a…

Welcome to our new podcast series entitled ‘Perseverance’. It seems to me that is what we are all going to have to focus on as we head into 2021. And we are starting at a great place, ‘Persevere with Your Passions’. We are all going to need to do this and to inspire and encourage us is cookery author, Skye McAlpine. I have often admired Skye’s wond…

Welcome to the final episode in our series on Hope. Now, we haven’t given up hope completely! On the contrary, I wanted to end the series with the episode that I felt was the most hopeful of all. My hope is that this episode lifts the spirits and moves us all to action. This episode is The Hope of Change with Alexandria Dauley and Sophie Ashby of U…

Welcome to Episode Ten in our series on Hope. For quite some time I have wanted to have some more established entrepreneurs on the podcast. And you are in for a treat today. Meri Meri is an international lifestyle brand for party, home and play. To be honest, a party isn’t a party in our house with some Meri Meri! Their world is whimsical, magical,…

Welcome to Episode Nine in our series on Hope. In this episode we speak with Georgia Spray founder of Partnership Editions about the Hope of Collecting Art. Partnership Editions aim to make remarkable art accessible to all by offering an online platform married with events, collecting advice and a creative community. They work alongside exciting, e…

Welcome to Episode Eight in our series on Hope. In this episode, Molly Mahon and I consider the hope of the unexpected. We delve into the story of her eponymous company which designs and creates glorious block printed fabrics and wallpapers. You will hear all about that Shepherds Hut, how happenstance became a business, the methodical, mesmerising,…

Welcome to Episode Seven in our series on Hope. Today we are delving into the space where fashion, technology and sustainability meet. Where each enhances the other and offers the hope of conscious fashion, and perhaps also the hope of innovation. Our guest is Eshita Kabra founder of By Rotation which is the UK's first and only fashion rental platf…

Welcome to Episode 6 in our series on Hope. As we have all been forced to slow down, we have been given the opportunity to consider more carefully what it is that we buy, what it is made of and who made it. So I wanted to explore the idea of pursuing quality of quantity. And that is exactly what we debate in this episode with Alice Byron founder of…