The Caro Podcast

Calandre Orton is a name that is becoming more and more spoken of, at quite a speed! Founder of Up With The Lark, a business consultancy for the creative industries, Calandre is the person to chat to if you’re looking to start, refine or grow your business.

My first foray with Up With The Lark was as a listener to the podcast. Attracted to the varied and inspiring group of guests, I was lured to listen in the hope that I might be glean a few helpful business tit-bits - or perhaps a few handfuls of it in fact.

It wasn’t long before I was taking note of the host, Calandre, as much as I was the guests, thinking ‘What does this person do - she’s so smart and savvy...’ And so, the introduction to her Creative Consultancy was uncovered and I was hooked on her clarity of vision.

With the ability to distinguish the foundations of a creative idea and understand what it needs to become a business, it is Calandre’s talent for finding the core truth behind the confusion that is so compelling.

@up.witth.the.lark

upwiththelark.com

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Bill Amberg is a name synonymous with quality, innovative design and a considered aesthetic. With a career spanning forty years, he has worked with some incredible people on a wide breadth of projects and taken his business across many landscapes. It is safe to say that Bill has seen the design industry through many times.

It is an enormous pleasure and privilege to have him on the podcast talking candidly about the reflections over his career and difference between starting a business now compared to the 80’s when he began selling his briefcases to Paul Smith.

Bill Amberg is passionate about many things - especially the business incubation programme that he is a part of at Cockpit Arts but also his family, food and the many variety of vehicle he has restored over the years.

I have no doubt, that in listening to Bill, you will recognise what a humble and warm person he is. He even brought me a papaya when he visited to record the podcast. And a lime. Enjoy listening to quite the legend.... Bill Amberg.

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A wellness brand steeped in sustainability and innovation, Commune have an attention to detail & quality that brings a level of prestige to their products. From the formulations of their scents, to the metal pump of the bottles, there is a seamless and beautiful experience for those that use their products.

I have been aware of Commune since their launch in 2022 but sitting down with founders Kate and Remi really illuminated the sense of storytelling that falls across everything that Commune do. From their typographic logo and the archway motif on their bottle, to the conversations they have, the alliances they make and their approach to sustainability, Commune push the boundaries of design despite the challenges that might bring.

With an ethos that is inspired by the abundance and generosity that nature delivers, it was gripping to hear Kate talk about creating her scents and likewise, the meticulous consideration when it comes to Remi’s design ethic.

With the opening of a physical space on Bruton High Street in the winter of 2023, Caro just missed the chance of becoming their neighbour. However, I am able to talk shop with them today - please welcome Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux of Commune to this weeks episode.

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Mud Australia is a brand known for their timeless porcelain homewares, minimalist aesthetic and their extensive colour palette. Since opening their first store in 2007, there are now 12 MUD stores all over the world. I am delighted to invite founder Shelley Simpson onto the podcast today. As a shopkeeper of just one little shop in Bruton, it was a privileged to chat to Shelley about how she grew Mud from making small runs of homewares to mass producing for a fleet of stores. From the conversation I had with Shelley, it is clear that she is not only a smart businesswoman, but that she has a fundamental ambition to work with people and on the ground, where the action is. We chatted about her personal experience in retailed aged 40, and how that inspired the ethos at Mud, and the different ways in which various cultures use her tableware depending on what they eat and the way they eat.

We also talk about the Shelley Simpson Ceramic Prize held by Mud Australia every year - and this years winner, Alfred Lowe. I completely fell in love with Alfred’s pieces when I saw them - and more so when I read the inspiration behind them. He describes the importance of their bright colours and fun appearance in holding their presence in a room ‘ a presence that rejects expectations, ignores preconceptions and embraces a provocative sense of rebellion.’ It is initiatives like the ceramic prize that make Shelley Simpson a true inspiration.

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