Sian Gabbidon: The Apprentice winner reshaping fashion

This week’s guest on The Business Leader Podcast is Sian Gabbidon, the Founder of Sian Marie, a UK-based premium loungewear company. She is a media personality with over 100K followers on Instagram and was the winner of the hit BBC show The Apprentice in 2018. Sian has grown her business from a small swimwear brand she founded in her bedroom, to a known loungewear brand with over 60K followers on Instagram.

We talk to Sian about the secrets to creating a unique fashion brand, her experience on The Apprentice, and the role her personal brand has in the success of her business.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you tell us about your business journey up to this point? (00:45)
• What was it like becoming an overnight star from your appearance on The Apprentice and how did it affect your business? (05:34)
• Do you feel that the exposure from being on The Apprentice was more valuable to you then the investment? (07:39)
• You recently ended your partnership with Lord Sugar. What was the reason for this and was it an amicable split? (09:19)
• We're in a cost-of-living crisis and a recession is looming - how have you prepared your business for this? (10:52)
• Do you have any tips on how fashion brands can stand out in a saturated market? (13:48)
• You have 114,000 followers on Instagram – how important is it for your business for you as a person to cultivate your own personal brand? (16:33)
• Do you ever just want to turn off the public-facing part of your life because it must require a lot of upkeep? (21:32)
• Do you feel you received positive support from other business leaders after your win on The Apprentice? (24:40)
• You’ve expressed your opposition to fast-fashion brands and how unethical they are – how do you make sure your supply chain and the production of your clothing is ethical? (27:53)
• Does there need to be a collective psychological shift in the way consumers purchase clothing because of the impact its having on people and the planet? Will this change in our lifetime? (31:28)
• How did you develop your leadership style? (33:09)
• What qualities are lacking among today’s leaders? (36:14)
• The Good News Postcard: If you could live in any decade, other than this one, what would it be and why? (38:30)
• What makes a great business leader? (40:08)

Thanks to India from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

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