64. How to convert visibility into sales and long-term growth | Penelope Chilvers
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Welcome to All About Business with me, James Reid, the podcast that covers everything about business, management, and leadership. Every episode, I sit down with different guests who have bootstrapped companies, masterminded investment models, or built a business empire.
How did Penelope Chilvers transition from painting to footwear design?
They're leaders in their field, and they're here to give you top insights and actionable advice so that you can apply their ideas to your own career or business venture. What does it really take to build a premium brand without outside investment, fast growth, or shortcuts? Today on All About Business, I'm joined by Penelope Chilvers, founder of the footwear brand that bears her name. Over the past 25 years, Penelope has built a business rooted in craftsmanship, ethical production, and long-term relationships with artisans in Spain, all while staying deeply hands-on as a designer and creative leader. we'll explore what sustainable growth really looks like, the realities of slow fashion, and how to turn craft into a lasting business.
What were the challenges of launching her first big orders?
Today on All About Business, I'm really delighted to welcome Penelope Chilvers. Penelope is an English footwear designer and founder of the eponymous brand Penelope Chilvers. She makes wonderful shoes and boots, and she's expanding into other lines, which we'll talk about later. She originally trained as a painter in London before moving into design work in Spain. and her business is in a sense a fusion of British and Spanish style but Penelope is going to tell me more about that in a moment so thank you for coming in today Penelope and I'd really like you to begin at the beginning tell us a little bit about how this wonderful business journey of yours which started 25 years ago began.
Hi James yes it's been quite a journey and it's It's taken up most of my life actually now, looking back. But 25 years ago, I was in my first career living in Barcelona.
How does Penelope maintain quality and craftsmanship in her products?
as a painter. And I studied for four years at art school in London and then went and did an MA in Madrid in draftsmanship and drawing. And then I went to live in Barcelona, married my Spanish husband and tried very hard to make money as a painter. But I started a family very early and felt really stupid going into the art, going into my studio and not being able to have a good day painting and coming out with something that could help us make some money just wasn't enough for me. And so I started to change my chip and think I need to be more commercial more quickly. And so I became a commercial painter, restoring
What role does family play in Penelope's business journey?
murals and painting furniture. And then from then I started working with woodturners and designing objects in Barcelona and working with artisans. And I think that was probably the beginning of my career as a footwear designer, working with artisans, because I really got very passionate about working with craft, people who make things. And then I came back to London and after the sad ending of my marriage with two little girls and had to kind of reinvent my career because I'd lost what I'd started in Barcelona for those 10 years that I was living there. and was trying to work out what I could bring to London from Spain, because I feel like I'd probably done the opposite when I went to live in Spain, was taking a little bit of London with me.
The interior design world and the painting skills that I'd learned in London had been so useful in Barcelona.
How did Penelope expand her brand into the American market?
And it's a long story, but I used to go riding in my lunch break in Spain up in the Coixarola Park, as one does in Barcelona. You have very long lunch breaks. And I would go for a short hat.
Sounds very civilized. Yeah.
It's not like a clip to Pratt. And I'd had a pair of riding boots made for me to my own design by an artisan that I'd met. at a trade fair. And I used to wear these boots in London and quite a lot of my friends said, where did you get those boots? I want some too. So I started taking commissions. First it was two or three pairs and I'd go down and see my artisan and say, I want...
So had you told him exactly sort of what you wanted? Absolutely, yes.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:15
2
How did Penelope Chilvers transition from painting to footwear design?
0:15–1:06
3
What were the challenges of launching her first big orders?
1:06–2:10
4
How does Penelope maintain quality and craftsmanship in her products?
2:10–3:07
5
What role does family play in Penelope's business journey?
3:07–4:09
6
How did Penelope expand her brand into the American market?
4:09–5:04
7
What is the significance of slow fashion and ethical production?
5:04–6:07
8
How does Penelope's approach to customer feedback influence her designs?
6:07–56:14
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from James Reed: all about business
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