Real Talk Real Hustle

About Real Talk Real Hustle

Real Talk Real Hustle, hosted by Sarah Hawkins and Leah Clarke, shares the unfiltered reality of entrepreneurship. Starting their first nursery at 23 with no funding or roadmap, they open up about cashflow, leadership, branding, and the lessons from getting it wrong. Alongside business, they navigate motherhood, divorce, and real-life challenges. With expert guests and honest conversations, this podcast gives you practical tools and reminds you you’re not alone.

Publisher

Real Talk Real Hustle

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Apr 2026

Latest episode

20 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

13 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Jul 2026

   The Starter Pack | Networking, Branding, Finance & HR LIVE PANEL

   The Live Show | Real Talk Real Hustle Season Finale We did it live. 🎙️ For our season finale, we brought the podcast into a room full of the people who believed in us from the very beginning and recorded in front of a live audience for the very first time. This one is different. This one is special. Joined by our expert panel: Jagz from The Branding Distillery, Reyhana from Continental Consulting, Romesh from FD Consulting, and hosted by Maahika, founder of Empower Sounds Media We covered everything. Networking, branding, finance, HR, team building, co-founder relationships, resilience, and what it really takes to build something that lasts. We shared the story of the Olympics road closure that nearly stopped our third nursery from opening, why we ignored our accountant's advice and how it cost us, the shame we used to carry about our financial struggles, and how we finally learned to share it all with our team. The panel brought their own stories too, including Jags sharing how she kept going in business just two weeks after a life-changing event, and a powerful Q&A with the audience that turned into a room full of real talk. This is the starter pack. The essential episode. The one that ties it all together. Timestamps 00:03:00 - Welcome to the live show 00:06:00 - The power of networking 00:09:00 - Networking and brand building with Jagz 00:10:30 - Networking and finance with Romesh 00:13:00 - The Olympics story 00:15:30 - Building a brand with intention 00:25:00 - Finance fundamentals for founders 00:34:00 - Barney Bears: the financial journey 00:43:00 - The co-founder relationship 00:45:00 - HR and team building with Reyhana 00:53:00 - Final advice from the panel 00:58:00 - Maahika's advice + Q&A Key Takeaways - Pre-plan your networking: know who you want to meet and why. - Your brand follows you into every room you walk into. - Manage your cash flow obsessively and don't grow faster than your foundations can hold. - Share your struggles with your team: shame keeps you small, honesty keeps you together. - And surround yourself with people who support you, educate you, and actually listen. Thank you for being part of season one. We'll see you again soon. Follow the PodPodcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustle Follow our guests: Jagz / The Branding Distillery Reyhana / Continental Consulting Romesh / FD Consulting & Strive and Thrive Podcast Maahika / Empower Sounds Media & Reclaiming Bossy Podcast For collaborations & enquiries: team@empowersoundsmedia.com

2. 

   13 Jul 2026

   What's Next? | Our Five Year Plan, New Roles & Saying Goodbye??

   What's Next? | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 12 This is the end of our first season. But it's far from the end of the story. In this final episode, we look back at the spider diagram we drew up years ago, the one that had Barney Bears at its core, with the podcast, training, and consultancy branching off it. We talk about everything this podcast has allowed us to tick off, what it's opened up for us, and why this isn't goodbye, just a "for now." We share our five-year plan for Barney Bears to stand alone, with our leadership team at the centre of that growth, and what that means for our staff as they move up alongside us. We also open up about two brand new chapters: Sarah has just been appointed Governess of the Board at Barking and Dagenham College, the very place where we met at 16, and Leah continues her work as Vice Chair of the Women in Business group and on the executive board of the Newham Chamber of Commerce, with coaching as her next passion to explore. We talk about imposter syndrome showing up in new opportunities, the importance of training and investing in people, and the lesson that ties every single episode together: just be yourself. Thank you for joining us on this journey. We can't wait for what's next. Timestamps 00:02:00 - The dreams we've accomplished so far 00:04:00 - The future of Barney Bears00:08:00 - Sarah's new opportunity 00:13:00 - Leah's new opportunity 00:16:00 - The importance of training 00:19:00 - Be yourself Key Takeaways - Growth means investing in your leadership team so that growth ripples both down and back up. - Don't let imposter syndrome talk you out of an opportunity that's already chosen you. - And at the end of the day, the most powerful thing you can do in business and in life is simply be yourself. Thank you for joining us — this has been Real Talk, Real Hustle. Follow the Pod to be the first to hear when the new season comes out! Podcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustle For collaborations & enquiries: team@empowersoundsmedia.com

3. 

   6 Jul 2026

   How to Trademark Your Business Name (Without Making Our Mistakes)

   What Went Wrong: Navigating a Name Change | Real Talk Real EP11We never planned to talk about this one. But it's part of the journey too.In this short bonus episode, we pull back the curtain on the obstacle that delayed our launch: the name change nobody saw coming. We started out as The Honest Hustle, a name we loved and trademark-checked thoroughly. Or so we thought. Turns out, we never checked America, and we found that out the hard way when our Instagram got flagged as already trademarked.So we pivoted to Real Talk Real Hustle, did the trademark search properly this time, ordered the merch, recorded the episodes, and put the sign up. And then came the second hurdle: another trademark holder with a similar name meant we had to pause everything, mid-recording, mid-merch, mid-momentum, until it was resolved.We talk about how we handled the uncertainty, why we chose to stay quiet and patient rather than push back, and the lesson this taught us about trademarks, names, and how every business decision, however small, comes with motions you have to go through.This one's short, raw, and very real.Timestamps00:01:45 - Taking risks00:03:15 - The name hurdle00:09:00 - How do we handle problems?00:11:50 - Nursery namesKey Takeaways- Trademark checks need to cover every market you might grow into, not just your home country. - When you hit an obstacle, pause rather than push forward in hope. - And turn the negative into momentum: use the downtime to focus on other parts of the business while you wait.Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle.Follow the PodPodcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustleFor collaborations & enquiries: team@empowersoundsmedia.com

4. 

   29 Jun 2026

   Postpartum, Divorce & A Stroke: What We Didn't Tell You Before

   Real Health, Real Life | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 10 This episode is different. It's about the real health and the real life behind running a business, especially as women, as mothers, navigating it all while the business never stops needing you. We get into the realities nobody talks about. Going back to work just three months after giving birth because there was no maternity pay. The mum guilt that creeps in every single day. A prolapse that went unaddressed for seven years. A pregnancy spent bedbound during Covid. A divorce after 21 years of marriage. And a stroke, on the 1st of December 2019, in the middle of all of it. We share how we found our way back from each of these moments, not by stopping, because the business rarely gave us that option, but by learning, slowly, what it means to look after ourselves. This episode carries a lot. But it also carries a lot of hope. A note before you listen: this episode includes honest discussion of postnatal depression, pregnancy complications, divorce, and stroke. Please take care while listening, and reach out to a trusted person or professional if any of this resonates with you. Timestamps 00:01:00 - Work-life balance and guilt 00:04:00 - Pregnancy and being a business owner 00:08:00 - Covid babies 00:11:00 - Health and business 00:13:00 - Divorcing 00:17:00 - The stroke and finding purpose to heal 00:25:00 - Boundaries, rest, and how we look after ourselves now Key Takeaways - There is no business if you don't take care of yourself first - You cannot be a martyr. - Build in proper reset time, not just rest in theory but rest in practice. - And give yourself permission to actually heal instead of rushing back the moment you're needed. Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle. Follow the PodPodcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustle For collaborations & enquiries: team@empowersoundsmedia.com

5. 

   22 Jun 2026

   Being Open and Vulnerable: The Year We Almost Lost Everything

   Being Open and Vulnerable | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 9 This is the episode we almost didn't make.2019 was one of our best years in business. We had a head office, a team of area managers, 147 staff across four nurseries, and for the first time, the space to step back and become businesswomen rather than nursery workers. Then Covid hit. In this episode we get honest about what came next: closing all four nurseries, a staffing crisis nobody saw coming, and months of pretending everything was fine when it wasn't. We talk about the moment our accountant sat us down and told us we had six months before liquidation, the conversation that followed, and the decision that changed everything: closing two of our nurseries to save the business. We get into the attachment we couldn't let go of, the ego we had to check, and the lesson it took us years to learn about trusting our team enough to actually lead them. And we share the story of Lina, one of our own staff members, who went on to buy one of our nurseries and is now thriving with four of her own. This one is raw. But it's also one of the most important conversations we've had. Timestamps 00:02:00 - Being businesswomen 00:05:00 - Covid 00:08:00 - Feeling like a failure 00:10:00 - Holding each other up 00:12:00 - Liquidation 00:15:00 - Attachment 00:20:00 - Checking your ego 00:25:00 - Trust with your team 00:32:00 - Lina's story 00:37:00 - Takeaways Key Takeaways - You can't carry the hardest moments in business alone: lean on your accountant, your business partner, your team. - Quantity isn't success. Knowing you have enough is. - And real leadership means trusting your team enough to let them in, instead of carrying everything yourself. Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle. Follow the PodPodcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustle For collaborations & enquiries: team@empowersoundsmedia.com

6. 

   15 Jun 2026

   Work Life Balance as a Business Owner | Does It Even Exist?

   Work-Life Balance | Does It Even Exist? | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 8 In this episode, we get honest about what balance really looks like when you're running a business, raising a family, and trying to show up as your best self all at the same time. We talk about the overwhelming weeks, the guilt of not giving 100% to everything at once, and the small rituals that help us reset: from a dog walk to a list, a voice note to a quiet cup of coffee before the house wakes up. We also get into why balance looks different every single week, why you don't have to do everything all at once, and what we'd whisper to our younger selves if we could go back. Give yourself the permission to sleep, to say no, to switch off, and to know that the education and support available now simply didn't exist when we started out. This one is honest, warm, and full of the kind of real talk that only comes from 23 years of figuring it out together. Timestamps 00:02:00 - Does work-life balance even exist? 00:05:20 - The importance of being open with your business partner 00:10:00 - You don't have to do everything all at once 00:14:40 - Take care of yourself first 00:16:00 - What we would say to our younger selves 00:20:00 - What you need to know if you're starting in the industry now Key Takeaways - Look after yourself first, because if you don't show up for yourself, you can't show up for your team. - Find the reset rituals that work for you and protect them. - Be open with your business partner about how you're really feeling. - And if you're just starting out, you are so lucky to have the tools, the education, and the support that simply didn't exist when we began. Make use of that! Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle. Follow the PodPodcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustle For collaborations & enquiries: team@empowersoundsmedia.com

7. 

   8 Jun 2026

   How to Market Your Business on a Shoestring Budget | What We Wish We Knew From Day One

   Marketing & Branding | What We Wish We Knew From Day One | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 7 What does it actually take to build a brand that people trust and how do you get it right from the very beginning? In episode 7, we're joined by Jagz, founder of The Branding Distillery and a branding expert with 24 years of experience. We met Jagz through the Newham Chamber of Commerce networking events, and in a twist none of us planned, she ended up being the judge who interviewed us for the Barking and Dagenham Awards. We won two that night. Now she's back, and this time she's giving us everything. From why your logo is just the beginning, to how to find your audience, use social media with intention, pitch yourself with confidence, and build the kind of trust that turns customers into community. This one is for any business owner who's ever put money in the wrong place, avoided marketing out of fear, or wondered why their branding just isn't landing. Timestamps 00:02:00 - How we met Jagz 00:03:00 - Meet Jagz 00:06:30 - The importance of logos 00:08:30 - What does your audience want? 00:17:00 - Social media 00:25:00 - Storytelling and being real 00:32:00 - How to use different marketing tools 00:40:00 - How to pitch yourself and do market research 00:50:00 - Trust Key Takeaways - Invest in your branding early and put it in the right places. - Know your audience before you spend a penny on marketing. - Your staff are your brand in action, so love them, nurture them, and bring them on the journey. - And don't sit in fear for too long, opportunities don't wait. Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle. Follow the Pod Podcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustle For collaborations & enquiries: team@empowersoundsmedia.com

8. 

   1 Jun 2026

   The HR Mistakes That Could Cost You Everything

   HR: What Every Business Owner Needs to Know | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 6Nobody tells you about HR when you're starting a business, until you're sitting in front of a tribunal judge with no legal support, no HR structure, and no idea how serious it could get.In this episode, we're joined by Reyhana, an outsourced HR specialist for micro and scaling businesses. We met Reyhana through networking four years ago, and she immediately made HR feel less terrifying, and that's exactly what she does in this episode.We share the story of how a staff tribunal early in our journey woke us up to the importance of getting HR right. We walk through TUPE and what it really means to take over a business with an existing team. We talk about furlough, hybrid working, and why onboarding is one of the most underestimated tools any business owner has. And Reyhana breaks it all down in a way that makes it actually make sense.This episode is for any business owner who has ever thought HR is too complicated, too expensive, or something to worry about later. It isn't. And this episode will show you why.Timestamps00:02:00 - How we met00:03:30 - Guest introduction00:04:30 - How a tribunal got us thinking about HR00:08:10 - Why is HR important?00:25:00 - Navigating TUPE00:35:00 - The challenges of furlough and WFH00:40:10 - What first steps to take with a new employer?Key Takeaways- You don't need corporate HR structures from day one, but you do need the basics. - Document everything, even a simple follow-up email. - Do your people due diligence as thoroughly as your financial due diligence.- Your staff are your greatest asset, so invest in onboarding, communicate your expectations clearly, and lead with empathy.Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle.Follow the PodPodcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustleFor collaborations & enquiries: team@empowersoundsmedia.com

9. 

   25 May 2026

   How We Survived the Early Years of Business With No Money & No Guarantees

   Eat. Sleep. Repeat. | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 5 What does it really look like to go all in on a business when you're in your early 20s, in debt, on a survival budget, and the only thing keeping you going is a dream you refuse to let go of? In this episode, we get into the reality of what it took to build our nursery from the ground up. The sleepless nights, the seven-day weeks, the missed holidays, the friends' weddings, the delayed families. The moments we had to ask ourselves: "Do we still want to do this for another six months?" We talk about the sacrifices that come with building something real, the survival budget that kept us afloat, and why choosing your career over everything else at 23 is a conversation women rarely get to have honestly. We also talk about where we are now and how none of it would be possible without the team standing behind us. This one is for anyone who's ever wondered whether the grind is worth it. Spoiler: it is. But nobody tells you how long the road really is. Timestamps00:02:00 - Debt00:04:30 - Do you still want to do it after 6 months?00:06:00 - Life paths and trade-offs00:10:00 - Having a team and support00:15:00 - Confidence Key Takeaways- Know your survival budget and protect it. - Give your business time to develop before you decide it isn't working. - Never quit on a bad day. - And if you wake up every morning dreading what the day looks like, listen to that. Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle. Follow the PodPodcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustle For collaborations & enquiries: team@empowersoundsmedia.com (mailto:team@empowersoundsmedia.com)

10. 

    18 May 2026

    How to Stop Being Scared of the Bank - With Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam

    The Importance of Prestart Finance | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 4 Message from us: If you're a superfan and have been listening very closely to our story, you might have noticed we had to slightly change the release dates of a couple of our episodes. You haven’t missed an episode, and well done for catching that! The good news is that you get to listen to our conversation with Romesh about the wonders of finance ahead of schedule! Enjoy listening! ______________ What does it actually take to get a bank to believe in you when you're young, you have no money, and you're sitting across the table from a room full of male bankers with nothing but a handwritten business plan and a belief that won't quit? In episode 4, we're joined by Romesh, qualified accountant, finance director, founder of The FD Consultant, and co-host of the Strive and Thrive podcast. He has spent over 15 years working with startups and SMEs, and he breaks down the finance fundamentals every business owner needs to know: from how to approach a bank without fear, to why your value as a leader is the most important asset your business has. We also share some of our own stories from the early days: the knockbacks from the banks, borrowing from family, the boardroom full of strangers we had to sell our dream to, and the one man, Peter Bravery, whose belief in us made it all possible. This episode is for anyone who's ever been scared of finance, avoided looking at the numbers, or wondered whether their business idea is actually viable. Spoiler: the numbers are not the enemy. They're the goldmine. Timestamps 00:02:10 - Romesh's introduction 00:07:30 - How to overcome the fear of going to a bank for funding 00:10:30 - Small businesses: the backbone of the British economy 00:16:00 - Do all businesses go through the same knockbacks? 00:23:00 - Showing other people your vision 00:30:00 - Make good choices at the start 00:40:00 - Your value as a leader is the most important thing 00:42:00 - Trust your team 00:50:00 - Key takeaways Key Takeaways Going to the bank shouldn't be scary, it's just homework you'd do for yourself anyway. Know your industry, know your numbers, and pair your passion with structured thinking. Your value as a leader is incalculable, so trust your team with the day to day and focus on growing the business. And don't shy away from your bank manager. They want to help you succeed. Subscribe and follow along! This is Real Talk, Real Hustle. Follow the Pod Podcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustle For collaborations & enquiries: team@empowersoundsmedia.com (mailto:team@empowersoundsmedia.com) Follow Romesh Strive and Thrive Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@StriveAndThriveSeries (https://www.youtube.com/@StriveAndThriveSeries) Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romesh-jeyaseelanayagam/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/romesh-jeyaseelanayagam/)

11. 

    11 May 2026

    How To Build A Community Around Your Business - The Pressure is On

    The Pressure Is On | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 4We've got the keys. We've got the building. Now we've got 12 weeks to turn a derelict Victorian doctor's surgery into a fully operational nursery, with £25,000, no salaries, and two families who gave up their lives to help us make it happen.In episode 3, we get into the reality of the build-up to opening day. The survival budgets. The waiting list we built while the walls were still being replastered.We talk about the power of community, the courage it takes to collaborate with your competition, and what it really means to back yourself so hard you never even write a Plan B.This is the episode where it all gets very real.Timestamps00:01:30 - The pressure is on!00:03:30 - Community and support00:09:00 - Budgeting00:13:00 - Optimism00:15:00 - Collaborating with the competition00:18:00 - Key takeawaysKey TakeawaysSet a start date, an end date, and track your cash flow obsessively. Ask for help — your network has more expertise than you think. And back yourself so completely that a Plan B never even crosses your mind.Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle.Follow the PodPodcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustleFor collaborations & enquiries: team@empowersoundsmedia.comKeywords: real talk real hustle, how to open a nursery UK, female founders, women in business, startup on a budget, small business UK, entrepreneur podcast, community over competition, collaboration in business, childcare business UK, business optimism, asking for help in business, plan B mindset, early years business.

12. 

    4 May 2026

    The Hustle Begins! - Business Planning and Believing in Your Vision

    The Hustle Begins | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 2 What does it actually look like to build a business from scratch? Before you have an office, a budget, or anyone telling you what to do? In episode 2, we take you back to November 2003. We'd handed in our notice, stopped agency work, and set up our makeshift headquarters on Sarah’s bedroom floor in Barking. Armed with library books, a floppy disk, a fax machine, and a Nokia, we got to work. We talk about how we structured our days before we even knew what structure meant, how we hit the streets doing market research by cold-calling nurseries pretending to be parents, and how a chance connection at the job centre led us to the business advisor who changed everything. This episode is for anyone who's ever wondered what the early days of building something really look like. Spoiler: it's less glamorous than you think, and more powerful than you'd expect. Timestamps 00:02:00 - The hustle begins 00:03:40 - The importance of discipline 00:05:30 - The desk 00:06:00 - Market research 00:10:00 - Networking 00:14:00 - Be shameless Key Takeaways Discipline gets you further than motivation. Structure your days even when nobody's watching. Ask for help with no shame — the job centre, the business adviser, the person who knows more than you. And always, always write it down. Subscribe and follow along — this is Real Talk, Real Hustle. Follow the Pod Podcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustle For collaborations & enquiries: ⁠ (mailto:team@empowersoundsmedia.com) team@empowersoundsmedia.com⁠ (mailto:team@empowersoundsmedia.com) Keywords: real talk real hustle, how to start a business UK, business planning for beginners, female founders, market research small business, East London entrepreneurs, women in business, startup story, business without qualifications, entrepreneur podcast, small business UK, childcare business, discipline and entrepreneurship.

13. 

    27 Apr 2026

    From Nursery Workers to Business Owners - Who Are We?

    Who Are We? | Real Talk Real Hustle Ep. 1 Who are we? How do two best friends of 30 years build a business together, and what does it really take to go from zero to 23 years of entrepreneurship? In this first episode of Real Talk Real Hustle, we introduce ourselves, our story, and the business we've built together: Barney Bears Nursery, a Children's Day Nurseries group with two locations in East London. We take you back to the very beginning: two young women straight out of college, working agency shifts across London, finding our inspiration, navigating neurodivergency, imposter syndrome, feelings of inferiority, and making the bold decision at just 23, with no savings, no business qualifications, and nothing but hunger and drive, to open our own nursery. 23 years later, we're here to share it all. The wins, the pivots, the lows, and the lessons. Whether you're an entrepreneur or just someone who loves a real story told honestly, this podcast is for you. Timestamps 00:01:30 - Who's Sarah? 00:02:30 - Who's Leah? 00:03:30 - What's the business? 00:05:15 - How did we meet? 00:13:00 - First steps into the industry 00:21:00 - Opening a business and taking the leap Connect with the Pod Podcast Instagram: @real.talk.real.hustle Keywords: real talk real hustle, female entrepreneur podcast, business podcast, children's nursery business, how to start a business, female founders, entrepreneurship journey, friendship and business, startup story, business without qualifications, women in business, small business UK.

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