Ep.74 The Mirror Test: How Do you Reflect Your Target Market?

This episode features Brendan Carr, Community Engagement Curator at Reading Museum, discusses his role, the museum's vast collections, and strategies for engaging audiences. Brendan was born and bred in Reading and has a wealth of experience in museums, including the last 25 years at Reading Museum.

The conversation delves into the evolution of Reading Museum, which is housed in the beautiful red brick Reading Town Hall and has been accumulating collections for over 140 years. He emphasises that the visible displays are just the "forefront," while the vast reserve collection acts as the town's "memory bank" for researchers worldwide.

The discussion touches on the vital topic of contemporary collecting and community engagement. Brendan stresses the importance of the museum acting as a "mirror," where people can see their own culture and background reflected. Engagement strategies focus on a balance of "old school" simple, tactile interactives and leveraging digital platforms for a growing global audience.

Finally, the conversation covers the challenges of funding, and the success of strategic partnerships and crafting "compelling" projects that align with the needs of funding agencies. Brendan concludes by encouraging listeners to visit the free museum for discovery and its positive impact on long-term wellbeing.

TIME CODES

00:00 Welcome

00:55 An introduction to Reading Museum

04:41 How large is the museum collection and how much is on display

08:19 How Reading Museum decides what stories and objects to collect

12:23 How Reading Museum staff keep the collection relevant over time

18:29 Brendan's role at the museum and what it involves: Community Engagement Curator

23:34 What works for engaging museum audiences

29:07 The data Reading Museum collect and how they're used

35:02 What challenges Brendan faces in carrying out his role

41:07 Brendan's final thoughts for listeners

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Be a "Mirror," Not Just a Platform: Customers must see themselves reflected in your product or service. Ensure your offerings and marketing reflect the diversity and current story of your target audience to establish identity and a feeling of belonging.

Craft Compelling, Aligned Partnerships: The museum augments its budget by raising funds through grant applications. The key is to craft partnership arrangements with communities and projects that fulfil the needs of the funding agencies/partners. Business owners should look for partners whose strategic goals align with their project's outcomes, creating a mutually beneficial relationship.

Proactive Asset Acquisition: Don't just save records—proactively collect items, stories, and data that reflect your current history. Business owners should be capturing the tools, narratives, and artifacts of their current success (e.g. prototypes, early marketing materials, customer testimonials, team stories) as they happen.

This episode features Alex Langlais, the owner of Café Yolk, discussing her background, the development of Café Yolk, and her philosophy on running a successful hospitality venture. The conversation delves into the diverse community it serves, and the detailed operational strategy behind its success.

The discussion begins with Alex's French-Canadian background and her upbringing in the restaurant industry, highlighting the essential need for passion and resilience in the field. She explains that Café Yolk was created to fill a market gap by delivering good quality food at an affordable price point, which is something she struggled to find when she first moved to the UK in 2007.

The conversation then moves to her practice of running the café, which focuses on intense attention to detail and consistency in execution. To maintain quality at scale, Alex developed Baby Yolk as a smaller, easier-to-operate "capsule" that can deliver consistency with less reliance on constant human presence, drawing parallels to the operational success of McDonald's.

Finally, the discussion touches on the constant operational challenges, which affect an industry operating on small margins. Alex advises other business owners to "be curious," stay open to new ideas, and be passionate about the business side of the industry to survive. She concludes by mentioning her plans for the future.

TIME CODES

00:00 Welcome to Alex Langlais

00:28 Alex's background

01:26 The gap that Café Yolk fills

02:19 Who are Café Yolk's audiences

04:28 What makes Café Yolk stand out/What is Café Yolk's USP?

06:04 How has Alex been able to get the details for Café Yolk right

07:48 How Alex's hospitality background has helped her to scale

08:46 What is 'Baby Yolk'?

10:04 Getting the correct operations in place for hospitality

10:50 The challenges Alex has faced over the years

12:38 Why you need to be passionate about the product and the business side

13:50 The tight margins in hospitality

14:16 The structure of Alex's week

16:03 Alex's advice for other business owners

17:28 You can't beat the classics!

18:02 Alex's plans for the future for Café Yolk

19:11 Alex's final thoughts

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Master the Micro-Details to Create a Premium Experience at Any Price Point

Alex demonstrates that quality is built on meticulous attention to every aspect of the customer journey, not just the core product. What are the "touchpoints" in your service or product that are often generic in your industry. How can you elevate them?

2. Design for Consistency and Scalability from Day One

Alex views her business as a "heavy machine to operate" and recognises that consistency is difficult to maintain with many people involved. Her solution was developing Baby Yolk, a smaller "capsule" designed to be easily replicated and deliver the same quality with less reliance on constant human error. What part of your service delivery relies too heavily on one individual or subjective judgment?

3. Be Passionately Business-Minded to Combat Slim Margins and External Pressures

In an industry with minimal margins, Alex stresses that passion for food is not enough; you must be equally passionate about business. This requires being extremely agile, constantly making hard decisions, and quickly re-adjusting the menu, operations, and pricing in response to volatile factors like government decisions, taxation, and ingredient shortages. How can you implement a routine for high-velocity decision-making regarding finances and inventory?

This episode features Tony Cowling and Tricia Marcousé of Draughtbusters, a community group dedicated to draught proofing the homes of people in energy poverty. Originating from a 2013-2014 initiative by Reading Borough Council, the service is provided free of charge. Despite the low overhead, the work is highly impactful: draught proofing can lead to annual savings of £150 to £250 and more on energy bills. Tony, a former builder, explains that common draughts are found in places like leaky trickle ventilators, under newly fitted doors, around pipes, and through floorboards.

Draughtbusters operates via a referral system through organisations like Reading Borough Council, Citizens Advice, and local hospitals, which helps establish the group's legitimacy and checks for energy poverty. Tricia manages the admin and promotion, noting that their biggest challenge is overcoming public suspicion due to scams and managing expectations. They stress that the purpose is to provide an essential service to those who cannot afford it, and that draught proofing is the vital starting point before investing in major projects like heat pumps.

Looking ahead, Draughtbusters is expanding its reach beyond Reading. They are actively training and setting up autonomous groups across the region and as far as Scotland, with 15 new groups forming in surrounding towns over the last two and a half years. They conclude by asking listeners to volunteer to help meet the increasing demand for their invaluable service.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Prioritise Simple, High-ROI Intervention

The most impactful solutions are often the simplest, not the most expensive. Draughtbusters proves that a £22 investment in draft-proofing materials can yield £150 to £250 (and sometimes up to £600) in annual savings for clients. This demonstrates that focusing on eliminating foundational inefficiencies (like draughts) delivers massive, immediate, and recurring returns before tackling major capital projects.

Leverage Credibility for Project Flow (The Referral Engine)

To overcome public scepticism and the challenge of appearing as a "scam", Draughtbusters established a trust-based referral system. By partnering with trusted institutions like the Reading Borough Council, Citizens Advice, and the NHS, they ensured a consistent and vetted flow of clients. This structure is a powerful blueprint for any business or CSR initiative requiring verified need and high-trust acceptance.

Build a Scalable, Autonomous Training Model

The project's structure is designed for growth without central micromanagement. Draughtbusters scaled by focusing on training and workshops to help others set up autonomous groups. This enabled rapid expansion, resulting in 15 groups forming in surrounding towns and others as far as Scotland. The lesson is that to scale community impact, you must provide a replicable framework and empower local leaders to run their own operations.

TIMECODES

00:00 Greeting to Tony and Tricia

00:16 What is Draughtbusters

00:36 How did Draughtbusters start?

01:20 The Impact Draughtbusters is making

01:32 The most common causes of draught in a home

02:45 What is the mix of new to old homes in Reading?

03:23 What is the process for how someone contacts Draughtbusters

04:24 Tony's background and how he became interested in preventing draughts

06:12 Tricia's role in draughtbusters and how she promotes Draughtbusters

10:38 Draughtbusters groups outside of Reading

12:24 Challenges the group has faced

16:24 Draughtbusting tips from Tricia

19:47 Draughbusters going forwards and economics of Draughtbusters

21:23 Final thoughts

This episode features Tara Deane, founder of the Inside the Music Scene podcast, Inside the Music Scene. Tara is a former radio presenter, promoter, and musician who manages a wide array of creative projects in the music scene. The discussion covers her lifelong journey in music, her unique approach to building a supportive community, and her strategies for managing creative burnout.

The conversation delves into the evolution of Inside the Music Scene, which started in lockdown and now functions as a social media platform as well as a podcast. Tara explains how the platform offers a backstage view, interviewing not just artists, but also the vital support network like photographers, sound engineers, and music video shooters. She also details her content strategy.

Finally, the discussion touches on the vital topic of community-building. Tara urges other creators to focus on networking, being genuine, and giving value to others. She encourages musicians to explore different scenes and open mic nights to evolve their skills. She concludes with her future plans, and some valuable advice for everyone.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Use Collaborative Content to Grow Your Audience. Tara highlights the efficiency of leveraging a community through co-creation. By interviewing over 30 people at a festival and using collaborative social media posts, she saw her following triple.

Growth is Driven by Networking and Giving Value. True, long-term business success is built on relationships. Tara emphasises that business owners must be out there, doing the grafting, giving value, and doing things for others, recognising that this foundational work is what ultimately drives growth and builds a supportive, engaged network.

Your "Niche" Should Embrace Competition, Not Shun It. Tara models a powerful mindset by viewing competition as a positive force. Instead of being irritated by other promoters starting events on the same night, she sees it as a healthy, competitive market which draws in more participants and ultimately benefits your own platform.

TIME CODES

00:00 Welcome to Tara Deane!

01:04 Tara's background

01:56 Tara's activities

04:40 How Tara has developed her podcast

07:48 Finding your balance and growing your network

09:21 How Tara has developed her community

14:04 The importance of being nice!

15:04 Advice for local artists

17:59 Tara's plans for the future

20:34 Tara's advice

This episode features Philip Newcombe, an artist and educator based in Reading. The discussion centres on his artistic journey, his minimal and concept-driven work, the challenges facing the local art scene, and his philosophy on creativity.

The conversation delves into his background, then moves to his artistic practice, which focuses on objects, sculpture, and text presented in minimal settings. Phil aims to challenge people and get them to think for themselves, playing with "notions of beauty and time". He encourages aspiring artists to "always believe in what you do" and "never listen to anyone else".

Finally, the discussion touches on the local art scene and collaboration. Phil notes the Reading visual arts scene is always a struggle, though the music scene has always been prolific. He highlights the need for artists to stay in Reading and create long-lasting, artist-run spaces. He also discusses Silent Academy, an artist-run multimedia press he runs with Andrew Shaw, which has a desire to "disrupt habitual thinking". He concludes with his plans, including the quarterly publication How to Walk Slowly.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Embrace "97% Thinking" to Achieve Breakthroughs: Innovation requires a period of deliberate thought and incubation, even if it looks like inactivity. Encourage time for reflection, research, and non-linear thinking, rather than always optimising for speed. The goal is to move from a long, unrefined idea to a "really concise message," which takes significant effort and patience.

Disrupt Habitual Thinking by Challenging Assumptions: The Silent Academy is run by Phil and his colleague, Andrew Shaw. Phil suggests the best way o challenge assumptions is to be attuned to the world, noticing the "glimpses". Constantly question "how things are expected to be done". By putting familiar objects or ideas back into a new context, you can refocus attention on basic elements like shape, form, and colour, which can reveal overlooked strategic insights or market positioning.

Use Trust and Space to Maximise Collaboration: Successful collaboration requires setting aside egos and offering mutual trust. The key is to "take a step back and listen" and give the collaborator "carte blanche". This process, though sometimes uncomfortable, puts you in a position to "adapt" and receive new creative "dividends" you hadn't considered. Define a collaborative framework where partners feel trusted and empowered to challenge you, even if it makes you "uncomfortable".

TIME CODES

00:00 Introduction to Phil Newcombe

00:23 Phil's background

01:37 How the Reading art scene has changed over the years

03:25 What makes art a good form of communication

05:33 Phil's work

09:54 You need to train yourself to undertake a creative process

10:54 Phil's creative process

12:45 How you can take the ordinary and make it extraordinary

13:43 Lessons Phil has learned from the exhibitions that he's done

14:58 How Phil found his international exhibitions

16:03 Know your audience!: Is your work for you or an audience?

17:04 Silent Academy: How audiences can challenge their own perceptions

16:43 How Phil collaborates with other artists

20:52 Phil's plans going forwards

23:26 Phil's final thoughts

In this episode husband and wife, Maria and David Lloyd, discuss brand. Maria chats with her husband, David Lloyd, a graphic designer and all-round creative. They combine their respective expertise in marketing and design to discuss their favourite brands and lessons that local businesses can learn from them.

Maria highlights Untamed, Café Yolk, and McDonalds, while David's chosen brands are Greggs, Liquid Death, and Boston Dynamics. The discussion touches on a wide range of topics, including quality, cultural relevance, building a brand, and patience.

Finally, they both conclude with their key takeaways and one final tip for local brands.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Prioritise Product Quality and Personalised Experience: The product or service you deliver must be the best—it's your starting and stopping point. Once that's nailed, focus your marketing and customer service efforts entirely on your audience.

Use Creative Hooks and Novelty to Generate Free PR: You don't need a huge budget to stand out. Implement fun, memorable ideas—whether it's Gregg's launching a vegan sausage roll or Liquid Death giving water a heavy-metal look. These "stunts" and strong creative hooks create conversation and generate word-of-mouth and free PR.

Build a Brand with Patience and Consistency: Brand building is not a day-one process; it happens over a period of time. Local businesses should be patient, focus on one core staple that they do well, and ensure consistency in their design and messaging. Even for B2B companies, consistency and strong messaging are key to avoiding being "very boring"

TIME CODES

00:00 Welcome and David's introduction

01:01 Maria's first brand focus | Untamed

06:34 David's first brand focus | Greggs

12:20 Maria's second brand focus | Café Yolk

17:50 David's second brand focus | Liquid Death

21:38 Maria's third brand focus | McDonalds

26:06 David's third brand focus | Boston Dynamics

31:00 Maria's summary

31:34 David's summary

This episode features Jenny Morgan of Jenny's Bees, a qualified master beekeeper who took up the hobby upon retirement. Jenny now manages 35 hives. The discussion centres on her journey into beekeeping, her extensive qualifications, the fascinating life of bees, and the challenges they face.

The conversation delves into the rigorous British Beekeeping Association (BBA) education programme that led to her Master Beekeeper status. Jenny explains key aspects of bee behaviour, including how foraging bees communicate the location of nectar sources.

Finally, the discussion touches on the vital topic of bee conservation and education, a main focus for Jenny, who is also the education officer for Reading Beekeepers. She encourages people interested in beekeeping to take a six-week introductory course to understand the cost, commitment, and legislation, noting that bees are regulated livestock. She concludes with a message on the main challenges facing bees—particularly wild bees. She urges the public to help by buying honey from local beekeepers and planting flowers that bloom throughout the year.

TIMECODES

00:00 Welcome to Jenny Morgan

00:37 How Jenny got into beekeeping

01:57 Jenny's beekeeping qualifications & what the exams involve

04:34 Microscopy and how it helps bees and beekeepers

05:26 Why honey is different colours and what this means

07:21 How bees communicate and what they communicate

09:27 How Jenny sells her honey to help her bees

11.02 How much honey a hive can produce

11:32 How colony sizes change throughout the year (changes between winter and summer activities)

13:40 How Jenny educates different audiences: specialists and the general public

17:06 How you can help British bees

18:17 The challenges that bees are facing

22:19 How to care for bee colonies

23:10 Jenny's plans going forwards

24:50 Jenny's final thoughts

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Value of Niche Expertise and High-Level Qualification

Jenny's authority is built on achieving the highest level of expertise—the Master Beekeeper qualification. For local business owners, this highlights the marketing and trust value of deep specialisation and accreditation.

Strategic Marketing and Promoting Local Sourcing

Jenny's primary marketing strategy revolves around promoting her honey's "unique selling point" the fact that it is local and comes from bees foraging in the immediate locale.

The Power of Education as a Marketing and Recruitment Tool

Jenny uses education in multiple ways:

Community Engagement: Giving talks to the general public (schools, church groups, museums) creates brand awareness for Jenny's Bees and helps to educate the community.

Educating specialists: As the Education Officer for Reading Beekeepers, she encourages newcomers to enrol in a structured six-week introductory course. She is also on the exam board for the British Beekeeping Association.

In this episode Sherrie Allam, a singer from Theale, shares her journey into music, her life as a carer, and the stories behind her recent songs.

The episode focuses on her song, "Free Us From This War," which she wrote after watching news discussing war on television. She recorded a song and music video to raise money for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

Sherrie also talks about her song, "My Boy," which is based on her son, Anthony, who also features in the music video. He is very excited to be on YouTube!

The episode also covers how Sherrie plans to promote her song, her challenges, and advice to others.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Don't delay your project: Sherrie's primary advice and deepest regret is not pursuing her music earlier. She was held back by the common fear of being "good, but never good enough". The lesson is to silence the inner critic and take action, because the potential opportunities lost to self-doubt are the only true failure.

Embrace the positives to fuel your journey: Sherrie demonstrates that even in the face of immense personal and professional challenges, maintaining a positive attitude is essential for endurance. Her philosophy is to focus on what you have and what you choose to do.

TIMECODES

00:00 Welcome to Sherrie

00:18 Sherrie's background

01:45 If you don't ask you don't get

02:19 What led Sherrie to write 'Free us from this War' to raise money for the Poppy Appeal

04:01 How they came to do the song's music video in a church in Theale

05:10 How Sherrie plans to promote the song

05:43 What challenges Sherrie faces

06:42 Other projects Sherrie is working on

08:45 Sherrie's final thoughts