Disruption isn’t a claim. It’s a commitment.

This week, Verity sits down with Leah Uka (Chief Brand Officer @ Jewells) who shares how to build a brand that actually does things differently. From Combat Medic to Founder to global Brand Leader, Leah’s path defies the expected – and so does her approach to brand-building.

Jewells is set to reframe the jewelry space by making every product personal, every store unforgettable, and every customer a potential Advocate. Leah’s insights are razor-sharp; cutting through the noise around content, community, and scale to deliver real lessons for fashion, beauty & retail marketers.

 

Dive in. Unpack how to:

 

• Find Your First 10 Advocates & Grow from There: Leah explains why early believers are the backbone of any successful brand, and how to identify and nurture them from day one.

 

• Create Products That Do More Than Look Good: Jewells’ Memory Stacks are designed to layer meaning and memory – not just metal. A product strategy built on emotion, beyond aesthetics.

 

• Build an Omnichannel Experience That’s Worth Talking About: From scent to sound, Jewells’ in-store experience extends online – seamlessly. It’s about making every customer touchpoint memorable and Advocacy-ready.

 

• Scale at Speed, Without Cutting Corners: The myth of "selling out in five minutes"? Leah calls it bad planning. She’s lifting the lid on "community events” that don’t translate to revenue, too. This is how to build systems that support real, sustainable growth.

 

If you’re tired of copycat tactics and looking for original thinking, this conversation’s for you.

Listen in. Rethink what disruption should look like, when it’s done right.

 

Chapters

00:00 The Real Power of Brand Advocacy
02:10 Retail Disruption: What’s Changing Fast
08:07 A Career Path Like No Other
12:03 How to Build Trust in Emerging Categories
18:15 Engaging Advocates Who Drive Growth
20:05 Crafting a Consistent Global Brand
21:43 Delivering a True Omni-Channel Experience
23:39 How to Scale & Scale Fast
24:23 Making Customer Experience Seamless
25:51 Why Team Engagement Is Non-Negotiable
29:26 When Employee Advocacy Pays Off
30:32 The Must-Know Steps for Global Scaling
32:53 The Brands Breaking New Ground
34:11 Authenticity vs. Content Overload: Striking the Balance
40:40 What’s Fueling Excitement for New Launches

 

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Connect with Leah:

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On LinkedIn

 

 

Verity Hurd [00:00:00]:

Brand advocacy and like the whole word of mouth marketing piece, like, we know it's so powerful, but yet there's still so many brands out there that just don't quite know how to get it right. They think they're doing elements of it, but actually it's just not advocacy in its true core.

 

Leah Uka [00:00:14]:

I think because everything nowadays is paid for and I think from an outsider's perspective. And again, this gives me strength in the job that I do in that I haven't come from those traditional roots. I can look at it from a customer perspective, from an outsider perspective and say, actually, what is going to get me talking about this brand? What do I look for in a brand when I'm purchasing? Not just, well, you know, we need this pillar and this content. Yes, that's great, but the reality is very different.

 

Paul Archer [00:00:53]:

Have you ever wondered why some brands grow exponentially, building legions of passionate fans that live and die by their logos and some, well, don't. I do all the time, and that's probably because I'm a massive brand nerd. But I believe there's a secret sauce at the core of every remarkable brand. A formula that sparks the growth of passionate communities, of superfans, building a business and a reputation that will last forever for years to come. My name is Paul Archer and I'm a specialist in brand advocacy and word of mouth, having consulted for hundreds of brands on a topic.

 

Verity Hurd [00:01:26]:

Hey, it's Verity here, your co host of the Building Brand Advocacy podcast.

 

Paul Archer [00:01:31]:

In this podcast, we tap into the greatest marketing minds in the world. They share the exact tactics and strategies used to build the world's greatest brands, dropping actionable insights every brand builder can apply.

 

Verity Hurd [00:01:42]:

We've got some incredible guests coming up, sharing insights and tips that can truly shift the marketing landscape. If you want to be the first to hear, make sure you hit that follow button. The more people following the show, the bigger and better we can make it. So if you're loving what you hear, don't forget to follow and spread the word. Thanks again for listening. It really means a lot. I hope you enjoy this next episode.

 

Paul Archer [00:02:05]:

It's time to learn and Building Brand Advocacy.

 

Verity Hurd [00:02:10]:

Hello and welcome to today's episode of Building Brand Advocacy. Today I'm joined by Leah, the chief brand officer at Jewells, and I'm super excited to chat to you today. Leah, welcome.

 

Leah Uka [00:02:20]:

Thank you very much. I'm excited to be here.

 

Verity Hurd [00:02:22]:

I would love to hear more about the brand before we kind of like just get in because you launched in. No. You're not even launched yet.

 

Leah Uka [00:02:29]:

Nope.

 

Verity Hurd [00:02:29]:

But Everything started to kick off in around October of last year.

 

Leah Uka [00:02:33]:

Yes. So actually it's been super fast moving. So this idea only came alive kind of mid. Mid last year and then October, I was the first one in. And since then we have been ramping up like crazy. It's been a whirlwind. And then we launch on the 30th of May.

 

Verity Hurd [00:02:55]:

Wow.

 

Leah Uka [00:02:56]:

So, yeah, very quick.

 

Verity Hurd [00:02:57]:

Yeah, very quick. We'll get into a little bit more about you, sort of like the concept of the brand in a bit. But I suppose you're currently leading the global brand and marketing vision for, like, this new retail concept and it's designed to disrupt.

 

Leah Uka [00:03:14]:

Yes.

 

Verity Hurd [00:03:15]:

What exactly does disruption look like for you guys? And you know what, what is going to make it so different?

 

Leah Uka [00:03:21]:

So disruption is exactly what it says on the tin for me. From my perspective, everyone always says, you know, we're launching this new brand, you know, whether it be T shirts or it's, I don't know, athleisure wear.

 

Verity Hurd [00:03:35]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:03:35]:

In this case, jewellery. And everyone says they're going to disrupt the space. What I mean by disruption is completely flipping it on its head and doing something completely different to what anyone else does in the market and really being authentic with that and living and breathing it. So, yeah, so we're. We're in the process at the moment of really kind of shaping the way that the brand will look to everybody and feel to everybody and just do the opposite of what everyone would expect.

 

Verity Hurd [00:04:09]:

Wow. Yeah, it sounds super exciting and I suppose, like, you know, disruption. I don't know, would you call it a bit of a buzzword? For some people it is.

 

Leah Uka [00:04:19]:

Everyone uses it.

 

Verity Hurd [00:04:20]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:04:20]:

Everyone says they're disrupting.

 

Verity Hurd [00:04:22]:

Can you kind of like just give us a little sneak peek into kind of like how you're leaning into it so it isn't just this, like, buzzword concept?

 

Leah Uka [00:04:29]:

Yeah, sure. So for us it's all about the feeling and the emotion behind what you. How you perceive our brand and also what you can gain from our brand. And I usually hear a lot of people just talking about either community or their product. Yeah, really, we want to innovate this space and rather than take a product and try and sell it and make it fit you, we're actually listening to what the gap is in the market in real time and completely changing the product to suit you and your life in a really organic way. So, yeah, so disruption, yes, it is a buzzword, but you have to live and breathe it and that's what we're doing, what we're aiming for.

 

Verity Hurd [00:05:16]:

What are some of the ways that you're kind of doing that at the moment?

 

Leah Uka [00:05:19]:

So we have a few concepts that we're launching with, one of which is something we're calling memory stacks. So in every way that you kind of layer your jewellery, you tend to. Usually when you think of memory, when it comes to jewellery, actually, I'll talk about this. It tends to be down to a milestone, whether it's a birth or an engagement and you have like a ring to signify that, or you have, I don't know, a graduation present. Every day we layer our jewellery. I wear lots of different jewellery all day, every day. And I can see that you do.

 

Verity Hurd [00:05:57]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:05:57]:

But it might not be. It might not have the same relevance to you. Like what. You might usually have one piece of jewellery that you wear. We want to create a space where every single piece of jewellery in our store, whether it be earrings, necklaces, bracelets, can be layered and signify a memory, whether it's a small memory or a big memory. And the. The way that we're designing the product and the innovation behind the way that some of the clasps, for example, click onto the jewellery, or the way that you can change up for one minute wearing it as a ring, the next minute wearing it as an earring, really kind of innovate that. So every single piece that you wear and layer can be attributed to a memory.

 

Verity Hurd [00:06:39]:

Yeah, I love that whole concept of tapping into the memory thing. I think pretty much every piece of jewellery I've got on right now signifies either a memory or something that, like, means something to me in some way.

 

Leah Uka [00:06:52]:

100%.

 

Verity Hurd [00:06:53]:

And when. Yeah, it's interesting because, like, thinking about it, like, even when I go away or if I'm doing something in particular that I'm gonna feel a bit nervous or anxious about, I need a certain piece of jewellery on me so I can feel close to it because it obviously represents either a person or, like I said, like a meaning or something.

 

Leah Uka [00:07:10]:

Yeah. Even down to fashion, jewellery people tend to purchase it because they love the look of it and they think, oh, that would go great with an outfit. But actually, if they really kind of look into it, it's actually much more as there's a feeling behind that. I want to buy that because I feel like I would look great in that.

 

Verity Hurd [00:07:27]:

So.

 

Leah Uka [00:07:28]:

So really kind of touching into that and leaning into it, I think is. Is a space that is actually quite often overlooked when it comes down to it.

 

Verity Hurd [00:07:36]:

Okay. And obviously so, you know, with Jaws, but your career is quite impressive. And I think also kind of shows that there's not just like a one way to a certain position. Like, can you just take us back a little? You've been from sort of combat medical.

 

Leah Uka [00:07:54]:

Yeah. Another lifetime. Yeah.

 

Verity Hurd [00:07:57]:

To sort of like skincare specialist. And, you know, obviously you founded a brand and now, like I said, you're with yours. Like, like, yeah. Just give us a little bit of a brief kind of history tour of your career.

 

Leah Uka [00:08:08]:

Yeah, I'm like a cat with nine lives. I never went the traditional way into a career. I didn't go to university. I actually left school not knowing what I wanted to do. I have a military family, so it felt like a natural step for me to kind of go down that route. And I was 16. I, you know, I, I didn't know what I wanted to do. So, yeah, I started life in the military as a combat medic and then I found, you know, within a couple of years of doing that, that really, that probably wasn't my calling.

 

Leah Uka [00:08:44]:

It was a great experience, but not really something I wanted to continue as a long term approach. I then moved into, eventually into skincare and tapping into my medical experience from a skin perspective and about making women, especially women, feel great in their skin and specialised more in concerns, whether it be acne, ageing, body concerns. So I opened up a clinic and how that kind of evolved into me opening a retail brand of my own was so many of my clients were saying, you know, this skincare world, it's just so confusing. I don't know where to start. I don't know what to do. I wish someone could just do it for me. So I started thinking about that and I actually created a product where skincare was infused inside of it so you could sleep with it and effectively do your routine while you sleep.

 

Verity Hurd [00:09:43]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:09:44]:

And then that evolved over time and I commercialised it and created clothing that would help with different concerns as you, as you wear it. So suddenly I was immersed in this retail world. Didn't really know what I was doing. I, to be honest with you, I'd never worked, you know, I'd worked in retail, you know, on shop floors, but I never, ever had the operational side of it, so I had to learn really, really fast. Luckily, I have a lot of contacts in retail so I was able to tap into that and I had a great mentor.

 

Verity Hurd [00:10:15]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:10:16]:

And I found that the demand for the product was huge, so I was able to scale really quickly. And so then I went into opening stores and that in itself is just a whole nother world. It's completely different to just online retailing. Bricks and mortar is just another beast. So I learned super quick and we started scaling globally. Actually, 50% of my customer base was based in the US. Yeah. So I was able to kind of get experience on a global scaling capacity really quickly.

 

Leah Uka [00:10:59]:

So I had the. I had that brand, everything was going great and then I decided, well, I had an offer too good to. To turn down. Yeah, effectively. Because, you know, as with all things, when you own a retail brand, you constantly need investment, you constantly need money and with team and when you're doing it on your own, it's really, really tough. Yeah. So I had an opportunity to sell a portion of it and move into this and that's what I've done. So.

 

Leah Uka [00:11:30]:

Yes, albeit it's not a traditional route into what you would classically see a Chief Brand Officer having come from, but actually I'm proof that you don't need to have been to university. Started off as an assistant and moved up, you know, through the ranks in a steady pace time. I think if you are switched on enough, you know what you're doing, you learn quickly and you can adapt, you can take those skills and utilise it in any industry as long as you're really, really focused and prepared to put the work in.

 

Verity Hurd [00:12:03]:

Yeah, absolutely. What would you say was kind of like one sort of like leadership skill or principle that you've taken even from, like the military days right through to now in terms of, like, what's helped you in sort of brand building?

 

Leah Uka [00:12:15]:

I suppose the biggest thing I would say to anybody starting a brand is you need to be able to work under pressure. And honestly, it. It's not. It's not. Doesn't come easily to a lot of people. Coming from the military, I learned to work in chaos.

 

Verity Hurd [00:12:33]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:12:33]:

And constantly adapt and change and change your thinking on a momentary basis. A lot of people don't actually like to do that and it's a really hard skill to find in people. I think taking that into brand building is super important because, you know, things go wrong on a daily basis. So being able to work under pressure is. Is a big, big part of that.

 

Verity Hurd [00:12:57]:

Yeah. I mean, the brand that you founded, I mean, such an innovative concept, right?

 

Leah Uka [00:13:03]:

Yeah.

 

Verity Hurd [00:13:05]:

How. I mean, that was kind of like. I'm guessing. Is there any other brands that are doing that? So. No, it's a product category that you've kind of created. I mean, so impressive, just alone, so. But in terms of like, building trust in a product category that doesn't exist, like, what Would you say is kind of like the approach to doing that?

 

Leah Uka [00:13:26]:

Well, absolutely. Bringing advocates on board from an early stage, that is the biggest piece of advice I can give to anyone trying to build a new category. Yeah, you really have to. When you're creating something that doesn't exist in the marketplace, the first thing you need to do is look for the people that engage when you talk about it. Look for the people that get excited by it and have them become your advocates. Yeah, the, the best thing ever is word of mouth over anything. And so if you can get people on board with your idea, it quickly, it will quickly move.

 

Verity Hurd [00:13:59]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:14:00]:

And it. And that's all you need to really kind of move the needle in the direction you need it to go in.

 

Verity Hurd [00:14:05]:

Yeah. I mean, Obviously where we 100% agree with all of that, but I still think today, like, it's still. I don't know, I was just talking about it earlier. I think brand advocacy and like the whole word of mouth marketing piece, we know it's so powerful, but yet there's still so many brands out there that just don't quite know how to get it right. They think they're doing elements of it, but actually it's just not advocacy. And it's true at its true core.

 

Leah Uka [00:14:32]:

I think, because everything nowadays is paid for and I think from an outsider's perspective. And again, this gives me strength in the job that I do in that I haven't come from those traditional roots. I can look at it from a customer perspective, from an outside side of perspective and say, actually, what is going to get me talking about this brand? What do I look for in a brand when I'm purchasing? Yeah, not just, well, you know, we need this pillar and this content. Yes, that's great. But it's. The reality is very different. So I think it can be missed very easily in bigger brands or even smaller brands that think that there's a certain way of doing something and they rely on content or paid influencers to really spread the word.

 

Verity Hurd [00:15:16]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:15:16]:

But honestly, you start with 10 people that believe in your brand, they're going to tell 10 people and then they're going to tell 10 people. And that can spread much quicker and more authentically than paying for influencers and trying to find a community online.

 

Verity Hurd [00:15:33]:

Yeah, 100%. How do you, how do you sort of like identify those first 10 advocates?

 

Leah Uka [00:15:38]:

Talk to everyone, network, engage. And even if you feel like you're boring, everybody, talk. Because I can guarantee there'll be one person that you speak to each day. Yeah, that you'll just see it. They'll ask you questions. They'll. Their eyes will light up when you're talking about it. And if you can get them as excited in it as you are, you found that person.

 

Verity Hurd [00:15:58]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:15:58]:

And you might not see any benefit from that straight away, but a week down the line, I've had it. I've had people come into my store crying, and I make no exaggeration. Crying because they've. I've changed their lives in the product that I've sold them because, you know, for whatever it's done for them.

 

Verity Hurd [00:16:17]:

Can you just imagine that conversation that they're then telling, like, their friends and family?

 

Leah Uka [00:16:22]:

Exactly. They learned that from somebody coming into my spot, my store, and us spending five minutes with that person and explaining the brand and the concept to them, getting them involved. That you just have to get people involved and talk, talk, talk.

 

Verity Hurd [00:16:37]:

Yeah, I had that scenario. I was actually at a. I just said, like, the gym, and I had a water bottle with, like, a brand name on it, and this girl came over and she was like, what do you think about this brand? Because I keep getting hit over and over, and I was like, I love it, and it works. And it, you know, really sort of like, hyped them up. And she went and bought it, even though she'd been seeing all these ads. Yeah. And she didn't know me. We were just in the same exercise class together for an hour, and that's it.

 

Leah Uka [00:17:03]:

So it's crazy. And she will now tell five. Five other people.

 

Verity Hurd [00:17:06]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:17:07]:

And then they will start telling people.

 

Verity Hurd [00:17:08]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:17:09]:

So that really is the. The quickest and best way to build.

 

Verity Hurd [00:17:13]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:17:14]:

Advocacy for your brand.

 

Verity Hurd [00:17:15]:

And then let's take those first 10 people. How do you. Have you got any sort of, like, tactics in terms of, like, how you're nurturing them to, you know, obviously keep that experience going so that they stay.

 

Leah Uka [00:17:25]:

People like to feel involved. I've noticed. And so just asking them questions about what they think about certain elements of your brand. Like, hey, you know, I was thinking about doing this product. Like, would you buy that? Would you. Do you believe in this concept? What do you think of this tagline? So many brands and people think that that's a big. No. No.

 

Leah Uka [00:17:48]:

Like, they should be telling the customer, this is what we stand for.

 

Verity Hurd [00:17:52]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:17:53]:

This is what we're about. No, you should actually flip it on its head. Your customers should be telling you what. How you make them feel, and then you lean into it. And so that's, for me, the best way of kind of Leaning into that. You need to get them involved.

 

Verity Hurd [00:18:12]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:18:12]:

Get them out, get them answering the questions for you.

 

Verity Hurd [00:18:15]:

Yeah. We've said it' so many times. Have that two way dialogue.

 

Leah Uka [00:18:17]:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's surprising how often it's missed. Everyone says they're doing it, but really they're not. That they're asking the question, not hearing it.

 

Verity Hurd [00:18:26]:

Yeah. How have you found having that two way dialogue? Like not how, but like, where are you having those, those conversations? I know that might sound like a really stupid question, but.

 

Leah Uka [00:18:36]:

No, not at all. And you know, it's tough before you launch a brand because, you know, until you launch really there isn't. You can't just go out to a community online. And until you start building that ye on social media and, and even then, you know, it's hard for people to really understand what you're about before they can visually see what you're about.

 

Verity Hurd [00:18:56]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:18:58]:

So I tend to start like, I guess you would call them focus groups, really close knit. Friends, family, colleagues, people that I've worked with before, people, other people that I know that create brands, start asking those questions, start building that hype. And then it's like when you, you know, if you were starting a brand in your, in your bedroom.

 

Verity Hurd [00:19:20]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:19:20]:

The first thing you would do is get your friends and family to like follow and share. Right. So it's the same thing, just on a different scale.

 

Verity Hurd [00:19:27]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:19:27]:

So starting in that space, you know, every little helps.

 

Verity Hurd [00:19:31]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:19:32]:

And then when you start to launch things and start to take off, whether, you know, you launch your social, as you launch your website, then you can start tapping into community and really building that and learning from what you've heard and kind of putting that to them and saying, do you believe in this strange that I've never met. What do you think?

 

Verity Hurd [00:19:48]:

Yeah. Okay, let's go back to Jewells. Yeah. So it's scaling globally from the start. How do you, how do you kind of go about building a brand that feels culturally sort of like resonant but consistent across all the different markets?

 

Leah Uka [00:20:05]:

Yeah. So number one, I will say we're very, very fortunate in that our founder and owner, Brett Blundy, is a retail guru. He has done this a million times over. He owns some fantastic brands. So, you know, we, we really do have that, that we can, we can tap into. I think when you're launching and scaling a brand globally from day one and making sure that it stays resonant across all touch points, you really have to start with one area that you know that you're really good at, for example, bricks and mortar. Yeah. And then think, right, how does that touch all the other points within the business, whether it's online, whether it's customer, whether it's social, whatever it may be, and bring that belief and culture through.

 

Leah Uka [00:20:59]:

Team is the number one thing. Everyone in your team has to live and breathe what you're doing.

 

Verity Hurd [00:21:04]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:21:04]:

And. And really believe in it. So number one team, then you push that out and you gotta stay consistent. Consistency is key.

 

Verity Hurd [00:21:14]:

Yeah. And you've obviously just mentioned bricks and mortar. For me, I feel like the retail space in sort of like the real life retail space is changing just as fast as, like, the digital space. And I sort of wanted to just tap into sort of like, you've emphasised that Jaws is about creating an experience and it's about sort of like the in store, the online experience as well, and bringing that all together. Like, just, how are you kind of. What does that look like for Jewells now?

 

Leah Uka [00:21:43]:

So for us, we are truly omnichannel. So everything you can do in store, you can do online and vice versa. The number one thing that you need to be able to do in today's landscape, especially if you're opening bricks and mortar, is create that theatre. And that reason why for people to come in, we will never be just another store pushing a product. When you come in, we want you to kind of. This sounds so cliche, but we want you to step into our universe and then feel and smell everything that you. You know all about us the minute you walk in.

 

Verity Hurd [00:22:17]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:22:18]:

So that comes down to team, first and foremost, living, breathing, being excited and engaged with our customers. The minute you walk through the door, the smell that you can smell that you come in, that's. That's us, right? The sound, the everything is a. Is a touch point. Yeah. And the same with online, you know, we want to move our retail spaces online as well. We have, like, Jaws radio that we're going to be launching, which people can listen to what's going on in our stores, what our soundtrack is, what our community are loving at the moment. And so that's just one area, incorporating in store services and being able to relay that online again.

 

Leah Uka [00:23:02]:

So everything now has to be fully omnichannel and an experience in itself, not just another place to buy product.

 

Verity Hurd [00:23:11]:

I love that. Yeah, that's super cool.

 

Leah Uka [00:23:13]:

Yeah.

 

Verity Hurd [00:23:14]:

And I suppose that's what's going to get people when they're in store, to talk about it online as well. And it kind of like, it works both ways, doesn't it? In that sense.

 

Leah Uka [00:23:22]:

Yeah, yeah, 100%.

 

Verity Hurd [00:23:25]:

Okay. I want to talk about scaling at speed, because I think this is something that, you know, obviously you've got such expertise in.

 

Leah Uka [00:23:32]:

Yeah.

 

Verity Hurd [00:23:34]:

First of all, what is one thing brands underestimate about launching quickly?

 

Leah Uka [00:23:39]:

They don't realise how much money it takes and how much work it takes. They don't, they never, they always underestimate. Yeah, yeah.

 

Verity Hurd [00:23:47]:

And then in terms of, how does that sort of like in terms of teams and your systems, what, what is it that you need from day one?

 

Leah Uka [00:23:55]:

So again, I'm going to sound like a broken record, but you need teams of people that fully believe in what you are trying to achieve, because without that, you will not launch a successful brand. So team, first and foremost, systems, you need to get the logistics right, especially if you're scaling at speed. And all of the systems that you see in the background that the customer doesn't see, so that the experience for them is seamless. Yeah, it's actually really, really tough to get right because people think it's as easy as just setting up a website and as long as you can ship to the customer, it's fine. But actually it's everything that you, you, you, you kind of don't see. Whether it be a seamless customer service experience. Who's going to manage that?

 

Verity Hurd [00:24:46]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:24:46]:

Is it going to be a consistent voice? What's going to happen if you know your, your stock doesn't arrive in store? How are you going to fulfil it? Yeah, everyone really does underestimate that and they, you know, there's such an emphasis these days as well. What I'll also say is, you see these brands launch and they're like, we sold out in five minutes. That's actually really poor planning. It is. That's not good. It's actually not a good thing to say.

 

Verity Hurd [00:25:18]:

That's very true.

 

Leah Uka [00:25:19]:

I don't believe that is. Because in my opinion, then you've underestimated, you completely underestimated what impact you're going to have and now you're struggling to find stock. I know a lot of brands do that for a bit of a market, kind of. They haven't sold out, but, you know, they say they do, but really it does more harm than good in my eyes. And if I'm investing in a brand, I'm not investing in a brand that can't manage their inventory and stock properly. So it's these little things that you really need to take notice of, especially if you want to scale globally fast.

 

Verity Hurd [00:25:51]:

Yeah, I want to go back to the teams thing, because obviously you've mentioned it a couple of times and I think for us the whole employee advocacy is like you've said, it's just as important as your customers and your advocates out there in the real world. Obviously from a starting point there's obviously certain things you can do. And would you feel like it's a bit easier to kind of get that buy in from day one or is there tactics that a brand that is currently existing, they've already got a team and feel like they need to gain some more buy in from their employees? Like what would be some of your advice or tactics to do that?

 

Leah Uka [00:26:26]:

Yeah, you know, I think it's an interesting one. You actually say that because when you're a startup and you hire your first team members, the first thing you do is invest a lot of time in them. Right. Because you want them on board. If you're just a one man band and you're starting a brand or if you're like us, you have 20 people in an office but you, you know, everything is new to everyone.

 

Verity Hurd [00:26:47]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:26:48]:

That sense of collaboration and engagement, you don't have levels, you don't have hierarchy. Everyone is rolling their sleeves up, up. So it's easy to build that brand advocacy with your employees quickly because you're all on the same mission, you're all on the same wavelength. Bigger brands I guess is much harder because you get caught up in the everyday. You have a lot of, you know, hierarchy, people that feel disconnected. My biggest piece of advice would be to spend time with everyone. Nobody is better than anyone. Kind of forget your job titles because who cares about job titles, right? It's, everyone is as important as each other and you need to spend the time with them, keep them engaged and invest in those people and they will naturally be your biggest brand advocates for sure.

 

Leah Uka [00:27:42]:

For sure.

 

Verity Hurd [00:27:43]:

And if, and I suppose like if, I mean the one thing that we get is like time poor as well and like you know, sort of the investing in, the education in employees about the product. Like again, if, if you know, if we were time poor, what, what can they do?

 

Leah Uka [00:28:00]:

That should be the number one thing that anyone does in a business is that should be the number one priority, investing the time in your employees. Everyone is time poor.

 

Verity Hurd [00:28:12]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:28:12]:

But you make the time for what matters the most. Right?

 

Verity Hurd [00:28:15]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:28:16]:

You know, you, you take, you pick up a call from your husband or your wife. So you should be able to pick up a call from an employee or invest that time into them, in educating them about product, brand, whatever it may Be because it's. When you don't do that, you see brands start to slip and you see standards start to fall. And it could be. It could start off really, really small. For example, in a store, you might see rubbish on the floor, you might see products not straight and nicely merchandised. That's just the beginning. And a lot of people might think, well, that's not that big of a deal.

 

Leah Uka [00:28:51]:

When you have a thousand stores globally, how can you manage that? Brett Blundy is proof in the pudding that you can manage that. He has about 20 million brands, he has over 3,000 stores globally and he still does store visits every day. He knows everyone's name. He walks into that store and he'll know a part timer and say, hi, Zoe, how are you? Tell me what's going on in the store. And just that interaction.

 

Verity Hurd [00:29:20]:

Yeah, I can imagine.

 

Leah Uka [00:29:21]:

They go away and they're like, oh, my God, I can't believe Brett spoke to me. He knows my name. And that re engages them and it ignites their fire. I think everybody should be able to do that in their brands.

 

Verity Hurd [00:29:33]:

Yeah. So incredibly powerful.

 

Leah Uka [00:29:34]:

Yeah, yeah, it really is.

 

Verity Hurd [00:29:36]:

Actually gave me a little goosebump when you said, like you said, say hello to Zoe and ask part timer what's going on and stuff.

 

Leah Uka [00:29:43]:

He's. Honestly, I'm so fortunate. He is a big reason why I'm in the position I'm in today because I've been lucky enough to have him as my mentor and he's come from nothing and he's made this incredible global impact in the retail world. He's probably the biggest retail investor globally. And the fact that he can go into a store, whether it's in Paris, London or South Africa, and he will know a part timer's name without even having to ask. And he has hundreds of thousands of team working for him. We never say staff, it's always team. That to me, is something that I really hold true to myself and I'll always maintain that through my working career.

 

Verity Hurd [00:30:29]:

Love it.

 

Leah Uka [00:30:30]:

Yeah. There's a reason why he's so successful.

 

Verity Hurd [00:30:32]:

Yeah, Yeah. I think I'm gonna know the first one to this question, but what other non negotiable steps that you were taking? Sort of like the first 90 days of this whole concept of scaling internationally.

 

Leah Uka [00:30:47]:

Yeah. So team logistics.

 

Verity Hurd [00:30:49]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:30:50]:

Money. Get those three things in place will always cost more than you expect. So just have a bucket of money available to you if you can, to be able to account for the. I don't know, what would you say? The things that Happen that we can't control Team is the most important thing of all. The right people at the right time and logistics. Make sure that you are set up to scale from day one. Even if you felt like you were, you know, if you're a brand and you're just opening in the UK and nobody starts a business thinking. Well, I'm sure some people do, but nobody really starts a business not thinking they're going to make it big.

 

Leah Uka [00:31:34]:

Right. And they're going to globalise. But then the biggest downfall in brands, which we see a lot, is they're not set up for scalability. And so, really, having a hold on that from day one is key. Yeah, for sure.

 

Verity Hurd [00:31:49]:

What have been some of the brands that have stood out to you that are sort of. That have also followed in these kind of footsteps?

 

Leah Uka [00:31:56]:

You know, I think, God, there's so many at the moment. And for me, probably the most notable brand that have taken my attention is, I'm gonna say skims.

 

Verity Hurd [00:32:13]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:32:14]:

And the reason I say skims is not because of the Kardashian powerhouse that's behind it, even though that helps. They really came in and innovated a space before, you know, you would go and buy your Spanx and be done with it. Right. But they actually really innovated because they created shapewear for everybody and anybody for any occasion, whether it was a backless dress, someone with, you know, like an amputee or disability, and they. They catered for that and then they were able to scale globally really, really quickly. They didn't have fancy packaging, they really didn't have a fancy product, but they had a product that people wanted and they. Actually, a lot of people don't really buy into the Kardashian brand, which is why a lot of their brands are just kind of stagnant. This brand, for some reason, worked and they were able to scale very quickly.

 

Leah Uka [00:33:12]:

So they're probably the most notable brand for me. And another one would be glossier.

 

Verity Hurd [00:33:15]:

Oh, yeah, without a doubt. Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:33:17]:

Because they. They innovated retail.

 

Verity Hurd [00:33:20]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:33:21]:

In my eyes, they did something completely different. They, you know, the white lab coats and the. The complete mobile POS solution. They just. There was no counter. There was no. Like, who. Who else was doing that? Nobody.

 

Verity Hurd [00:33:35]:

They were also one of the first ones, right, to sort of, like, use their. I hate saying real people, but, you know, sort of, like, use, you know, sort of their customers. I think they were one of the first ones to do it. Like, it started off on their blog, didn't it, and really showcasing. I Don't want to say real people. I hate that term.

 

Leah Uka [00:33:53]:

I know, but it's true, right? It's so true. And a thousand percent that, that to me is the power of brand advocacy. You really get people involved and they shine for you. And now their brand is worth billions. It's incredible.

 

Verity Hurd [00:34:08]:

What do you think brands get wrong when it comes to advocacy?

 

Leah Uka [00:34:11]:

Really? Not kind of standing for what you know, they try to stand for.

 

Verity Hurd [00:34:17]:

Okay.

 

Leah Uka [00:34:18]:

And speaking a lot, prioritising things like content over community in a really non authentic way. Yeah. You see it quite, you see it happen quite often and it's quite sad because actually it's a product you probably would buy but immediately you get turned off if you see certain types of content or certain, you just know it's like hashtag ad on everything.

 

Verity Hurd [00:34:45]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:34:46]:

It's like a turn off.

 

Verity Hurd [00:34:48]:

Sorry to interrupt. I just thought about like what you said there about the focusing on content over community and I think, do you think this is down to the fact that. But you know, let's just take social media, for example. As, as one space in the digital world. Like is there just content eating machines? Like it feels like it's never going to end. So I kind of understand where, you know, there's probably pressure coming on. We need more content. We need more content.

 

Verity Hurd [00:35:13]:

We need more content. Like, how do they get that balance of like. Because again, I think community is a buzzword.

 

Leah Uka [00:35:18]:

Yeah.

 

Verity Hurd [00:35:19]:

And huge. There's been some huge conversations this year about what does actually community mean. And you know, we're now saying community management isn't just answering DMs or answering comments on, you know, your Instagram post. It's so much more deep rooted than that.

 

Leah Uka [00:35:34]:

Yeah.

 

Verity Hurd [00:35:36]:

So again, that's a long term strategy. So how do we balance that community long term piece with the short term? We need content. So many.

 

Leah Uka [00:35:45]:

Yeah, yeah. It's a hard one. And I can see, I can see why, you know, it can be overlooked because like you say, it's like, content, content, content. We need content every single day. And then what happens is your authenticity has gone. Yeah. Or you're just trying to jump on a trend and that trend doesn't mean anything to your brand.

 

Verity Hurd [00:36:14]:

I've been talking about this a lot recently.

 

Leah Uka [00:36:16]:

Yeah. I, you know, you, and you know, you look at, you look at some content and you're like, why have you done that?

 

Verity Hurd [00:36:21]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:36:22]:

I don't really understand that. Why did you, why did you create? That doesn't make sense. So I think as long as you keep at the forefront of your Mind what your mission is and what really does mean to your community. Not forgetting the people that you've already nurtured and alienating them. I think that's how you kind of keep on track and not just jumping on a trend for the sake of trend. I like to think of it as, you know, like, if you have your personal Instagram page with all your friends and family on there, you may have like 2, 300 followers. Yeah. Whatever it may be, you don't post every day, but when you post, you probably get like a hundred of those 200 people like.

 

Verity Hurd [00:37:01]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:37:01]:

And comment on your posts.

 

Verity Hurd [00:37:03]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:37:04]:

So why do brands think that by creating 20 pieces of contact, 10 today is like the key? No, like, sit back, like, relax a little bit. Your brand's not going anywhere. Your community aren't going anywhere. If they believe in you, maybe create one piece of content every day to launch every other day. Your brand is. Your community is still gonna be there to like and follow and share.

 

Verity Hurd [00:37:32]:

I think this is the big problem, though, is the fact that we're copying what we think is the right thing to do. And actually it's like, who has set this playbook for what we should be posting and when and how often. And it feels like. And I get it because is, you know, working in a brand, you feel like, you know, you see your competitor and it. You kind of get that panic, don't you? Like, oh, they're doing all this stuff on social, you know, but actually, you're right. Brands need to just sort of like, rip up this imaginary social media playbook and set their own 100%. It's quite frustrating, actually, because I don't know where it's all come from, but.

 

Leah Uka [00:38:09]:

No, and you see, you know, I actually have a lot of insight into a lot of brands that you would think are doing immensely well based on the amount of content they're pedalling. Yeah. And the amount of events they're doing and, you know, all these glitz and, like, shiny smoke and mirrors, they're not. They're not profitable. They're spending money for the sake of spending money.

 

Verity Hurd [00:38:33]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:38:34]:

They could completely scale that back and still have some level of authenticity.

 

Verity Hurd [00:38:41]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:38:41]:

Whilst remaining profitable. I think, you know, it's. It's a sad reality that we live in, and I think it's down to, you know, we're kind of no better. I sit there on TikTok at night like, scrolling, scrolling, scrolling. I'm terrible for that, but I don't believe it's the way forward for a brand to Just constantly subscribe to peddling content if it's not authentic. Yeah. So, yeah, and that's a really good point. You make like you look at the comparison competitors, right? And you think, oh, look, look how much they're doing.

 

Leah Uka [00:39:15]:

We need to keep up. Yeah, I actually don't really like to look at competitors. We obviously, you know where your brand is positioned. You know, typically who your competitors are and you probably kind of know what they're doing. Yeah, but I don't look at what they're doing and follow. If anything, I would like to do the complete opposite at all times every time to keep it fresh and exciting. People are not interested in copycats.

 

Verity Hurd [00:39:41]:

No, definitely not. I think we're just, we're, we're, we're becoming too wise to a lot of things. And even what you said earlier, just, well, just now actually about brands that are kind of investing in all these, these community events and actually the conversation is now going, is it actually a community event?

 

Leah Uka [00:39:58]:

It's not, it's an influencer event. Yeah, it's not, let's be honest.

 

Verity Hurd [00:40:02]:

Right. And then community events is now customer events. But even the customer events, are they.

 

Leah Uka [00:40:08]:

Well, they're, they're customers with a lot of followers. Right. Give me Jo from Sainsbury's. Yeah, she's the real one.

 

Verity Hurd [00:40:16]:

Take Joe.

 

Leah Uka [00:40:17]:

Anyway, they're more likely to spend as well.

 

Verity Hurd [00:40:18]:

Yeah, yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:40:19]:

They're more likely to go and tell Jane and Janet down the road and they're gonna come in and spend some money with you.

 

Verity Hurd [00:40:25]:

Yeah.

 

Leah Uka [00:40:25]:

Because look, let's face it, we're all here to make money. You're making a business, right. It's about profit at the end of the day. Yeah. And yeah, authenticity is key. So that's. That. That is the key.

 

Verity Hurd [00:40:40]:

Leah, what are you most excited about with the launch coming up?

 

Leah Uka [00:40:43]:

My God, there's so much. I'm really excited to see it come to life. I actually was the person that helped design the stores. I had a great team behind me that actually put the pen to paper. But everything kind of came out of my brain in terms of how it looks and feels. And so I'm really excited to see how that is kind of perceived in real life. That is just incredible.

 

Verity Hurd [00:41:11]:

That's so exciting.

 

Leah Uka [00:41:13]:

And I'm really excited for who will be our new community to see our product. Our product is insane. It's just so innovative and clever and game changing and I know everyone says that, but just watch this space. It's so exciting.

 

Verity Hurd [00:41:31]:

I can't wait to see it.

 

Leah Uka [00:41:32]:

Yeah.

 

Verity Hurd [00:41:33]:

Leah, where can anyone find you if they wanted to get in touch?

 

Leah Uka [00:41:37]:

So I have my Instagram which is Leah dot B dot UKA or my LinkedIn and then jewells.com will be live very, very soon. So watch this space.

 

Verity Hurd [00:41:49]:

Awesome. Thank you so much.

 

Leah Uka [00:41:51]:

Thank you so much.

 

Paul Archer [00:41:54]:

That was another episode of Building Brand Advocacy, the world's top brand building podcast podcast. To find out more about Building Brand Advocacy and how this podcast is part of a bigger plan for our brand building cookbook, then make sure to search for Building Brand Advocacy in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or anywhere else that podcasts are fine. And make sure that you click subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes. Thanks to Duel for sponsoring. To find out more go to www.dual.tech, that's D U E L dot T E C H and on behalf of the team here at Building Brand Advocacy, thanks for listening.